I really do not understand how people in our country can claim that our healthcare system is okay and that we don’t NEED this reform.
Here’s what I found out today about our “awesome” plan through Assurant Health. We pay $400/month for the two of us, and that amount supposedly includes maternity coverage.
We have a $2,000 deductible…which is high…but we just couldn’t afford a higher monthly payment to get that deductible down.
We also have a $2,500 maternity deductible.
So here’s the deal… whenever I finally need that maternity coverage, we’ll have to pay $2,500 out of pocket for prenatal checkups, etc. before my insurance does us a whit of good.
THEN, I figure out that the only “in-network” Midwife is located 90 miles away. Like I really want to drive 90 miles for every checkup, not to mention while being in labor?
If I choose an “out-of-network” provider, my maternity deductible jumps to $5,000.
I can use a local doctor (30 miles away) who is in-network, but the more I read, the more I’d prefer to have a midwife assisted birth, and it’s ridiculous that for monetary reasons I might have to used a M.D. instead.
Also, if there are any complications (Cesarean, etc.), those costs go against my normal deductible of $2,000 (though my pre-natal stuff has all been going towards the $2,500 maternity one) and then my insurance will cover 70%… and of the 30% we’d be liable for, we would have to come up with another $7,500 out of pocket before they’d finally cover 100%. My girlfriend just had a Cesarean and their hospital bill is $27,000.
So yeah, having insurance would keep us from having a $27,000 bill.
However, it would not keep us from having a $11,500 bill.
And assuming I have an uncomplicated pregnancy and want to use a local midwife, that will cost me $5,000 (plus the $400/month of premiums)
And the elitist of this world assume it’s incompetent nincompoops who are costing our healthcare system so much. Um, why would I bother to pay for health insurance anyway?!
The health care system is definitely whack! I don't know if Obama is on the right track but the system is most certainly broken. I hate that a child, the result of the love you have with your husband, has to be planned out around money. It makes me sad!
Thanks Kara – it's just incredibly frustrating! I'm sure glad it's not my job to try and find a solution to the health care issue that everyone can agree on…
All that seems super frustrating. I can't believe people have to even consider things like that. Ugh.Also, you have a very pink blog now. It's pretty.
if it makes you feel any better (it probably won't) but our deductible is $5,000!! ouch. i can still feel that one stinging in the rear area. it was either go with the high deductible plan or face a $300 A MONTH increase. screwed either way.it was probably just luck but i had an OB and ended up with a midwife-like experience. best of both worlds? also, i read several midwifery blogs and i don't think 90 minutes is too far to go. many of them mention driving to get to clients an hour or two away. just some thoughts…
Thanks for the feedback – I honestly think I'd be more comfortable with a mid-wife experience in a hospital than at home (simply b/c we're 30+ min from the nearest hospital in the case of an emergency)… so I'm starting to think that for a $2500 instead of $5000 deductible, it might be worth the 90 mile drive to get a midwife who is covered by our plan. I dunno… not even preggo yet (UGH) but just want to have this all figured out as much as I can ahead of time to avoid the stress later. So much to decide…