My husband and I are in the first month of trying to conceive after stopping my birth control and I'm already nearly fed up with the medical system. Before I stopped my birth control I called my GP's office, where I have been a patient for the last 12 years, and tried to make an appointment for a pre-pregnancy check up. You know, make sure everything was a green light, not that I'm anticipating there being any issues. Right off the bat there were problems because the nurse I spoke with acted like I was a lunatic. She said there was no reason to see a doctor until I was already pregnant and no, my doctor would not prescribe me a prenatal to get started on. (I work as a pharmacy technician, I know there is a difference in ingredients vital to the first month of pregnancy that isn't in OTC prenates.)
So after a fight with my GP's office she tells me that my doctor doesn't "deal with pregnancy" anyway and I'd have to find another doctor to follow up with once I'm pregnant. This began my search. I am uninsured. We are more than willing and able to pay for any pregnancy related expenses and we have money in savings that we've been stashing away for this very reason. I have contacted all of the local OB's I can find and NOT ONE of them will accept an uninsured patient on a payment plan or cash upfront. I'm getting really frustrated with this.
Does anyone have any insight into this issue for me? Do I have to have an OB? I was just so floored when my family doctor who I've seen forever refused me for something that I feel is so important. Ugh.
-vent-
Re: Uninsured and Out of Luck
B born 7/15/13, C born 3/2/15, #3 on the way May '17
I’m a modern man, a man for the millennium. Digital and smoke free. A diversified multi-cultural, post-modern deconstruction that is anatomically and ecologically incorrect. I’ve been up linked and downloaded, I’ve been inputted and outsourced, I know the upside of downsizing, I know the downside of upgrading. I’m a high-tech low-life. A cutting edge, state-of-the-art bi-coastal multi-tasker and I can give you a gigabyte in a nanosecond! I’m new wave, but I’m old school and my inner child is outward bound. I’m a hot-wired, heat seeking, warm-hearted cool customer, voice activated and bio-degradable. I interface with my database, my database is in cyberspace, so I’m interactive, I’m hyperactive and from time to time I’m radioactive.
EDIT: I didn't purposely get pregnant. My son was an whoopsie and I was in the middle of getting insurance. Once I was pregnant it was a pre-existing condition so no insurance company would insure me.
That being said if there is anyway you can get health insurance prior to conceiving that would be ideal. Working in a pharmacy, I should not have to tell you that healthcare is expensive. Who knows if what starts out as a routine low risk pregnancy will end that way for you. Or what if your baby needs to be in the NICU or you need a C-section. I have read that the average NICU stay is $1500/day.
Please, look into self pay plans or see if you qualify for Medicaid. Even if a plan has a high deductible it could still give you some assistance and piece of mind if complications arise.
So, why do you not have insurance?
BFP 1- EDD 2/09/11 Missed MC DX @11 weeks D&C- 7/25/10 BFP 2- EDD 12/22/11 Natural MC @ 5w 2d BFP 3- EDD 1/25/12 DD Josephine born 1/16/12
Thank you everyone who has replied. I will continue to try to find insurance, I'm not refusing it trust me. I'm just not offered it through my job. I'm in the process of trying to get put on my husband's insurance but that's just a mess of a discussion I'd rather not get in to.
As for why get pregnant without insurance? There are circumstances we're in and my husband and I had to make a decision about what we want in our lives and this was it. None pertaining to any health issues, but still they are concerns. I'd rather not discuss them on a public forum but I appreciate those of you who asked.
I would like to point out that this was my first time posting as a member of this forum and I had a genuine question and some of the responses I received were rather rude. I had hoped that this being a forum for mature, adult discussions and questions I wouldn't be met with that but I guess you can't avoid bad behavior on the internet. It's a shame.
Thanks again everyone for your input.
BUT just one addendum. My ultrasounds alone were $400 each. I had them weekly from 18-38 weeks due to cervix issues. $8k, just in ultrasounds. That's not including the $500/month in Crinone I was on to try to delay labor as long as possible, the weekly MW visits, an overnight stay for preterm labor ($7,500)... the list goes on and on.
I would look into getting on your husband health insurance, even if it is a lot of work it would be worth it. If you are opposed to that then I recommend buying a plan on the exchange.
You have no health insurance? Besides the fact that you have to have health insurance because of the ACA even if it's a high deductible plan, not having insurance is a horrible, horrible idea, regardless of whether or not you're pregnant. Although some of the other posters on here may have come across rudely, I can't even fathom why you would be thinking of getting pregnant without having any health insurance. Talk about taking a huge, life changing, stressful event and compounding it a million times over. You can't just have money in the bank for something like a pregnancy- what if your child is born prematurely and is in the NICU for months? What if there's a major complication at birth? You could be in debt for the majority of your life due to this.
Sorry but you need to do a bit of growing up before you even think about having a baby. Take some of that savings & get some damn health insurance.
B born 7/15/13, C born 3/2/15, #3 on the way May '17
I’m a modern man, a man for the millennium. Digital and smoke free. A diversified multi-cultural, post-modern deconstruction that is anatomically and ecologically incorrect. I’ve been up linked and downloaded, I’ve been inputted and outsourced, I know the upside of downsizing, I know the downside of upgrading. I’m a high-tech low-life. A cutting edge, state-of-the-art bi-coastal multi-tasker and I can give you a gigabyte in a nanosecond! I’m new wave, but I’m old school and my inner child is outward bound. I’m a hot-wired, heat seeking, warm-hearted cool customer, voice activated and bio-degradable. I interface with my database, my database is in cyberspace, so I’m interactive, I’m hyperactive and from time to time I’m radioactive.
B born 7/15/13, C born 3/2/15, #3 on the way May '17
I’m a modern man, a man for the millennium. Digital and smoke free. A diversified multi-cultural, post-modern deconstruction that is anatomically and ecologically incorrect. I’ve been up linked and downloaded, I’ve been inputted and outsourced, I know the upside of downsizing, I know the downside of upgrading. I’m a high-tech low-life. A cutting edge, state-of-the-art bi-coastal multi-tasker and I can give you a gigabyte in a nanosecond! I’m new wave, but I’m old school and my inner child is outward bound. I’m a hot-wired, heat seeking, warm-hearted cool customer, voice activated and bio-degradable. I interface with my database, my database is in cyberspace, so I’m interactive, I’m hyperactive and from time to time I’m radioactive.
So yeah. You may not even bring home a baby and go bankrupt. There is no way I could have paid that OOP without causing a huge burden on my one income family.
Oh and I was on bed rest for a few days. I couldn't work or attend school. (I was a SAHM so work did not matter)
KOKO without insurance, but don't cry to anyone when you can't put food on the table or pay your bills.