Health Care (or medicaid) for my wife?

[EminTX 131]

Side note concerning midwives--they are an excellent alternative to the super expensive and almost-always invasive fashions of "managing" (aka-forcing) labor with chemistry that is outright unnatural causing, very often, more complications as repeated evidence has shown.

When I called my insurance company about coverage for my midwife, I had to explain to the person on the phone WHAT a midwife was. She was horrified that I would chose an unmedicated/control birth.

<Sigh. Very heavy sigh.>

Just one more example that everything is not better here.

Yes, avoiding pregnancy is a smart decision for people who are not financially prepared but the reality is that birth control DOES fail at times (even vascectomies!!! Yikes!) and it is outright unrealistic to expect (newly) married couples to abstain. People need to know what their options and that options actually DO exist BEFORE consulting a surgeon for a normal pregnancy that they hope to end by delivering naturally. The statistics in the US clearly demonstrate that every woman nearing the end of pregnancy can expect a 1/3 chance of surgery and a very, very low rate of deliveries that are un-forced (through drugs). My midwife has a 2% rate. (She is an expert at noticing when things are potentially going south and THEN transfers to the specialist. She also doesn't accept high-risk patients in the first place.) That alone is reason to avoid a surgical consultation in the first place. In the case of an emergency or a change to high-risk situation, THEN we will seek the specialist--until then, I, personally, prefer to see someone who specializes in normal patient care. (All obstetricians are surgeons.) I am very thankful to have the option in the first place. I didn't with my first pregnancy and it was disastrous.

Healthcare is a complicated issue here and politics in the recent years has complicated it even more. My own experience is that I pay much more and I get much less. I have now resorted to traveling to my husband's country to consult with specialists about certain issues and to get my girly exams. I am quite sure that I am not unique here in this.

One example is the cost of an inpatient MRI or CT of the abdomen. It runs around 2000U$-2800U$ here in Houston. It is much more cost effective to pay airfare to Perú, get a late-night discounted (due to the late hours) imaging study done, bring back your radiology report and copies of the imaging study with money left over.

Edited December 30, 2012 by EminTX

[NikLR 13,232]

Expecting someone to abstain I certainly am not, but suggesting that is a method to avoid pregnancy I am. Advocating a birth that is certainly what the mother wants is what I will ALWAYS do in very few exceptions (planned unnecessary c-sections get my goat but they're still a mother's right.) A midwife is certainly a great option and honestly every woman who is not high risk should look into one. I certainly wish I had been able to do a natural birth, but alas, it was not in the cards and never would have been. As my tubes are tied, chances of me getting pregnant again is very small but another c-section would be my fate at that point in time as well. I agree that researching hospitals, doctors, home birth, midwives etc... is all important or should be to a pregnant woman. There are ways to avoid pregnancy as much as possible, which is what most people are advocating. Birth control in it's various methods of shots, rings, pills, patches, IUD, implants, sponges, cups, etc... as well as condoms, certainly are cheaper than children. I had married friends who years later still used condoms as well as the pill to avoid having children before they were ready.

To be honest there was an Australian woman who had her baby in BC. Ended up costing her 2 million dollars. And that is with the Canadian health system. Out of country isn't always cheaper. I've never had to pay a dime for anything for anything medically related but I am a Canadian citizen by birth (8th generation) and have paid premiums when applicable and taxes toward it. Strangely enough my ex's father went to Boston to get an MRI done in relation to his cancer treatment he was receiving there and it was only $500. Go figure.

Hopefully before his fiancee needs anything her husband (the op) will have a job and can pay for some benefits for his new family. I know it was my husband's first concern, even before our I-130, to get all of his ducks in a row regarding insurance when he was hired at the FAA. I obviously am not on the plan but will probably buy some travel or temporary insurance that lasts for X amount of time (until his policy can be changed to cover me) when I finally am able to move down. I suggest the OP asks his fiancee to look into that for herself to make sure her bases are covered. Lots of options have been presented to the topic on hand. Discussing pregnancy, midwives, doctors etc is probably a topic best reserved for its own thread in off-topic.