no health insurance

[reeses16 8]

Depending on the income you make, your wife would qualify for WIC. Also, run the numbers you may come out about even if you begin putting ~500/mo now toward the birth of your child. Keep in mind that medical bills do not accrue interest and you can always call the billing department to arrange a payment plan if you can not pay the balance in full.

[raymaga 25]

If all else fails, you can wait until your wife is able to work and get a job with health insurance.

[-B&T- 1]

The prenatal check-ups alone is quite expensive it will really costs you a lot if you are not covered with Health insurance.Doctors will request for ultrasound too so that's another payment in cash its not easy but I feel you, having a child is such a wonderful blessing.I hope you will find solution to your problem and good luck.

Been there,than that. =)

Edited April 13, 2009 by Bituin

[Missbollinger 1]

You can self-pay the prenatal and delivery of the baby, the amount the Dr and Hospital charges is dependent on your income level. Don't try to buy private insurance unless you know you make too much.

Also my husband has a good job but 3 years ago because of a labor dispute he and 3000 other workers were locked out and we had ZERO coverage. I ended up losing our baby at 3 months, probably due to the huge amount of stress we were under. I qualified for WIC back then but we didn't qualify for Food Stamps or Medicaid.

[christera22 8]

Yes she can get a job and may be if that is that good then may be coverage for both of you ........ pls dnt mind VJers but US really sucks in basic things thats necessary for human beings. Health insurance being a major issue. Plus medicine companies are decieving us people & Govt saying that they need money for R&D and thats why prices are so high. Same medicine in India , same company / other company costs noteven 1/6th of the price here. Plus medicine shops wont give you the medicine directly. Doctors are also decieving people .............. if you dnt have insurance they wd chop off your head.

Before coming here I was not at all aware of all these................ US govt needs a serious attention to these. In India doctors are damn cheap, quality medication in cheap prices ......e.g. a tooth fillup in $2-5. Plus apart from a few serious medications that can cause life threat or can induce suicidal traits like sleeping pills...everything is available at medicine shops without prescriptions. Strange system really here . As someone said that "Just before i arrived in the US i found out i was expiecting and no insurance company would cover the pregnancy care." Never heard such a thing in India. Any kind of surgery and they wd cover it . Things has to be changes........ I plan to bring my total medicines from INdia , a year stock at least as soon as i can travel ............ also have to depend on any insurance that my prospective employer offers.

Edited April 13, 2009 by christera22

[christera22 8]

Plus the duductable thing is another pain in the ####. That shd immediately be banned. Plus again the doctors are sometimes choosy what which insurance they wd accept or not. So if your company is not one of them , you are SOUL. I asked my wife and she said there must be some company under state welfare who wd cover 100 % of your wifes pregnany. Call your county office and ask ...They wd know and they can direct you. My prayers r with you .

[kaffy 2]

A quick search on Google brought me to this:

http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/ServicesProgram...e/003676992.htm

In order to be eligible family income must not exceed 185% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.. doesn't say what the requirements as far as immigration status go so you will have to contact them in regards to that.

(In Washington state immigration status is not considered.. yep! we're paying for illegal immigrants to have their US citizen children here )

[Old Dominion 26]

The reasonable solution seems to be to wait. Every state has a plan that provides for healthy mothers and healthy children, if your income level is low enough to qualify you. I suspect that until she has her green card, some states will not provide this help. These are all state programs, not federal, even though they are subsidized by the federal government (President Obama just increased the number who are covered, something his predecessor refused to do).

But the costs of having a child in the house are possibly more than you can take on, even if the government provides free health insurance up to a certain age.

It would be wise to begin a job search and give up the freedom you have as an independent worker. It would also be wise to count on your wife being able to work also. More income is needed, along with any health benefits from being employed.

[jojo_gee 8]

I really feel for you to be in this situation. I understand you must really want a baby but from reading all these posts, it looks so stressful and such a hassle without health insurance. I wonder if it's worth it for the sake of your own health if you know what I mean? It's the one thing that scares me the most about moving to the USA. I am not planning to have children as quickly as you guys but one day it will happen. Coming from the UK where people don't have the worry about the cost of childbirth, I am wondering how I will cope when the time comes. I really hope you find the help you need. XX

[aidan80 9]

well we are thinking alittle in advance here, since out visa interview is this tuesday april 14. i am a independent contractor and do not have any health insurance. even once my fiance arrives, she will not have health insurance. we want to have a baby very soon once she arrives but without health insurance, we really cant afford to have a baby. i was thinking about paying for an insurance only for her durring pregnancy and then after for her and baby but i cant afford it. from what i have seen and heard it will cost me about $500 a month and thats too much for me. i dont make very much money but enough for us to get by but living pay check to pay check and maybe saving alittle extra but no where near $500. Since i filed and signed the I-134 assuring that my fiance will not be a public charge, are there any government help programs that we can apply for? not welfare but just a health insurance for the mother to be and baby. are there any programs that are available for people in this situation after filing a I-134? any help will be greatly appriciated. thank you

People have been having babies for thousands of years without some ####### in a white coat telling them when to push! Go find a midwife and DIY it at home it's a lot safer (with the right midwife) cleaner and less stressful than a hospital. I'm sure it'll cost a lot less too.

The so called medical industry in America is disgusts me, they've turned treatment into a business and spin out so much $hite and misinformation it isn't even funny. Like ohh you "need" this or you "need" that or you "have" to have this or this? People all over the world are having babies without some overpaid nob dictating to them what they need to do.

Edited April 18, 2009 by aidan80

[Anh map 2,098]

Don't forget the AOS expenses in your budget planning. At that time you will sign the I-864 affidavit of support as the I-134 is just for the K visa time.

[Empress of Groovy 373]

Unfortunately, if you're not on an employer-sponsored group plan, you're going to pay through the nose. The figure of $500/mo sounds about right, but keep in mind that most individual plans also have a waiting period (6 mos. to a year) before maternity is even covered. Plus, you'd likely have coinsurance, copayments, and/or deductibles on top of that. Plus the kid.

You may have to bite the bullet and look for a job w/ group-plan insurance. Your out-of-pocket expenses would be far less then.

Sadly, the U.S. isn't exactly the best country for your situation...

[Omar G. 4]

everyone thank you for your comments. we still plan on waiting more time, there is a time for everything. we are planning on waiting at least 6 months to my fiances arrival, we will be married and hopefully have the AOS completed. i have looked into some of the programs that you have recommended and see that i we would qualify for the WIC i believe. my fiance will unfortunetly not be able to get a job that offers health insurance because she works as a manicurist. will probably be working under the table as well as baby sitting and day care. if it a disadvantage when one is going to a country and not speaking the language or having the education background to get a job that will offer health benefits. also her certifications as a manicurist dont even qualify here in the US so taking a course to get her new certification will not be high on our list because we need to save first....

we are both (my fiance and i) coming from a country where all employers give a health insurance as an obligation. that one with just a cold can go to the emergency room and not get charged a single cent. that with any illness you go to the emergency room/hospital without thinking twice and not have to worry about your deductable or how much the bill is going to be....i am ok with it because im fortuante enough to not have had any problems growing up in the US without insurance. but for her this is something very freightening knowing that we are not going to have health insurance.

i want to say thank you for all your advice and help. i see that now there is a way for us to be able to have a baby soon.

People have been having babies for thousands of years without some ####### in a white coat telling them when to push! Go find a midwife and DIY it at home it's a lot safer (with the right midwife) cleaner and less stressful than a hospital. I'm sure it'll cost a lot less too.

aidan, my fiance is from a small farm and had 8 brothers and sisters which all were born in there own house. in the area there was someone that delivered all the babies from all the farms in that area. no one even had electricity, medicine....etc.......my wife is actually a twin! and that they didnt even know that her mother was having twins until she was delivered and said that theres one more! her father almost had a heart attack!