Hi ladies,
I'm a December 2012 mama. I'm really look to have a natural, intervention free birth. I'm looking into our local birth center as an option, since I'm not comfortable with a home birth.
Have any of you given birth in a birth center? Did you pay out of pocket, or did your insurance cover it? I know everyone is different, but I'm just looking for general info of people's experiences.
I have Blue Cross Blue Shield, and they stated on the phone that if I had a referral to the birth center from my doctor that it could potentially be fully covered. Has anyone asked for something like that? Did you have any luck?
Thanks for the input!
Re: Birth Center and Insurance Coverage?
I have United Heathcare. I paid less than $700 for my last birth at Heart 2 Heart Birth Center.
Insurance covered the rest. The birth center is run by two CPMs. The center has an OB as a medical director. Perhaps you can call the birth center(s) you are interested in to find out who are the doctor that they work well with.
Birth is safe as life gets - Harriette Hartigan
If you insurance covers birth centers, it likely comes down to CNM versus CMP and if you have out-of-network benefits. A CNM may be covered in-network, a CMP is likely not. But, a center run by CNM and thus an OB may not be what you are looking for since CPM vs. CNM styles can be very, very different. Also, if you don't have insurance coverage involved, a CPM center may offer you a cash discount which would make it on-par with what some insurance policies would pass on to you (like if you have a 70/30 plan for out-of-network). In other words, there are so many possibilities that contacting the birth center you are interested in and asking about your specific policy is probably your best bet.
More Green For Less Green
Expecting #2 6.28.14