ready to have a baby

[Cathi 5,790]

my wife came here to the US about 6 months ago on a conditional residency. we have been talking about having kids and we are ready to have them but I have a few questions for those who are in my situation. my wife is under the affidavit of support so she cant ask for any government help. what is the best thing to do now since I know that the delivery and labor send care of having baby are expensive is it best to look for a health insurance? is there any other way around this was the government can help me with maternity care.

has anyone on here had a baby while under the affidavit of support?

you said and i quote "is there any way around this was the government can help me with maternity care?" seriously????? the affidavit of support is put in place so you CANNOT get around the system. Why do you think that just because you have paid taxes that your recent immigrant wife is entitled to government health insurance? Did you not read any of the forms you signed before she arrived? I am trying not to be judgmental, but why should I, as a taxpayer, be liable for paying for coverage for your wife and new baby? Why not put off having children until you can actually afford to pay for it on your own? SMH

[Rob & Monika 87]

Well I been working for years but I am self employed. I always have to pay back money and others use my tax money to pay for their families. So why should I be left behind. All of our tax money probably payed for a birth in ur family

You can try and do a home delivery to save cash and skip all the checkups if you are desperate, but you really want to have insurance in case of an emergency...even if it has an outrageous deductible.

[Justine+David 218]

Like others have said, you can usually cut a deal with an OB if you do it far in advance. I would save some $$ and ask them.

How did you afford the visa fees if you can't afford health insurance? I'm not trying to be mean; I'm honestly curious. It sounds like if you could afford the visa fees, then you should be able to cut your lifestyle down in order to save up for delivery costs.

Otherwise, you could wait 3 years until she becomes a citizen to have kids on medicaid.

Edited January 29, 2013 by Justine+David

[Andrea&Henry 311]

I think you should pospose the maternity issue until you can be able to pay for the birth. Try to buy a insurance, even when a lot of them dont cover the birth there are many that actually does, but you need to wait a period of time to have a baby.

I understand that you and your wife want to have a baby, I'm craving to have a baby too but if you can't afford it right now, is better not to have it yet. Cause you need to think: is not only the birth, your need to pay for diapers, baby clothes, vaccines, baby formula, pacifiers, medical treatment, preschool, food etc etc. So I always think that the best act of love to our children, is planning the best environment and future we can afford BEFORE they get here.

If you can't afford the child birth, I highly doubt you can afford the rest at least for now. And put some taxpayers to take care of your kids future is not the answer. Sit and talk with your wife, set a plan for both of you and set some goals.

If she finds a job with insurance cover maybe that could work too.

good luck

[kev_n_jena 89]

After my wife Jena got to the states we put off having a child until we could afford it. She was able to get a job as a care giver (CNA) in a nursing home for the disabled. It was a very difficult job with a long commute and a 6 am start time every day. In return, the company provided her with health insurance and maternity coverage. She worked for 2 1/2 years with perfect attendance at that job while we saved for the pregnancy. Since she was already insured she was able to get private health insurance easily after the baby was born. It also includes maternity coverage in case we decide to have a second child. She's now a stay at home mom.

I waited until I was 48 years old to become a father. One of the biggest determining factors in that descision was being able to afford it. I don't have much respect for people that MAKE THE CHOICE to have me support their children.

[Andrea&Henry 311]

I think what everybody in here is trying to tell you is that there's no another way to do things. Buy a health insurance, pay in advance to an OB or have your baby at home.

But sit and think honestly if you are "ready" to have a baby. Being "ready", doesn't mean having the desire of having a baby. It means being able to afford his/her future, means to be prepare psychological, emotionally and personally ready, means to be strong as a couple to give this baby, a safe, loving and ESTABLE environment.

The first act of love to our upcoming children is set everything ready (financially, medical, psychological, emotionally and personally) for them to come in this world. So you need to stop thinking about what do you want and start thinking the things you need to do first, before having this baby

hope you take the best decision.

Edited January 29, 2013 by Andrea&Henry

[hamigirl710 112]

If you can not afford insurance go to your local County Hospital and enroll in their health insurance program if qualified many will assist you on a sliding scale with pre-natal care. For the birth you can get Emergency Medicaid to cover it if you are considered low income and qualify. Even if you do not qualify if she is in labor and shows up at the ER they are required to see her and provide medical care. You will get a huge bill from them but they will take care of her medically.

http://www.211ct.org/informationlibrary/Documents/Emergency%20Medicaid.asp

I am not saying that this is the way to go but if she is already pregnant it is important to seek care and I would rather give you the resources than you having a sick baby because of no prenatal care which would be a bigger burden on tax payers dollars in the long run.

Edited January 29, 2013 by hamigirl710

[Cathi 5,790]

If you can not afford insurance go to your local County Hospital and enroll in their health insurance program if qualified many will assist you on a sliding scale with pre-natal care. For the birth you can get Emergency Medicaid to cover it if you are considered low income and qualify. Even if you do not qualify if she is in labor and shows up at the ER they are required to see her and provide medical care. You will get a huge bill from them but they will take care of her medically.

http://www.211ct.org...%20Medicaid.asp

I am not saying that this is the way to go but if she is already pregnant it is important to seek care and I would rather give you the resources than you having a sick baby because of no prenatal care which would be a bigger burden on tax payers dollars in the long run.

she is not yet pregnant, they said they wanted to plan on having a baby in the future

[JlovesL 0]

What I meant by the goverment helping me is by any discounts. Not full cost of the birth and care. I make more than enough to pay full cost. But if theres discounts out there why not take advantage of them. I understand everyone. But dont understand me wrong. We have income to were only I have to work.

[Rob & Monika 87]

I see what you are saying...

If you have a baby, the hospital will charge some fee over $10k

If you have insurance, the insurance will only pay $3k, and the hospital writes off the rest. Same for medicare.

You want to be able to get the write off without insurance.

In this case, talk to whatever OBGYN you plan to do the delivery and checkups and see what kind of deal you can get.

When I said have the baby at home, I meant using a midwife service, I just could't think of the term at the time. Those cost in the $3k-4k range on average for the entire process.

[N-o-l-a 7,168]

I see what you are saying...

If you have a baby, the hospital will charge some fee over $10k

If you have insurance, the insurance will only pay $3k, and the hospital writes off the rest. Same for medicare.

You want to be able to get the write off without insurance.

In this case, talk to whatever OBGYN you plan to do the delivery and checkups and see what kind of deal you can get.

When I said have the baby at home, I meant using a midwife service, I just could't think of the term at the time. Those cost in the $3k-4k range on average for the entire process.

There are a lot of doctors and some hospitals that will arrange to receive from you whatever the insurance payment would be.

[Holly2234 66]

I am also curious about this. Insurance is not offered from my husbands job so i get it through my job. It isnt a major insurance though and i am enrolled on the "best" plan they had. This only covers $2500 maternity so nowhere near enough. I would be comfortable delivering at home with a midwife (my last daughter, born in the UK was delivered in hospital by a midwife)but there are no midwives in this area at all. So when we decide to have a baby again, i will have to look into what the OB/GYN's in this area offer me. And since there are only two, one male and one female (no preference either way for me) in the area, it will be a case of choosing the one who can be the most flexible on the payment issue. I suggest you do the same or your wife going to work to get subsidized insurance could be an option too. That is basically the only reason i go to work!

Good luck to you both.

[Darnell 8,479]

blue cross blue shield got smart about 18 months ago and opened up insurance for anyone who wanted to purchase it. A lot of self-employed folk took advantage of this. I have great insurance for my employees, but I didn't carry myself on the plan. I got blue cross blue shield insurance for me, instead. Rates not so bad. I put a link up about it , if you need to compare pricing and plans.

Another cool thing, is that when I want to add my wife, pregnancy is included.

I dunno - I suggest whoever is reading this actually shop around, spend some time on the internets and find the thing that makes sense for you and yours.

[erynaught 43]

Maternity care is, in most states, an optional rider to a policy unless it is a group policy covering 50 or more in which case it must be included.

Keep in mind that pregnancy is a pre-existing condition and may, as such, not be covered if insurance is obtained after conception. Many policies have longer exclusionary periods.

Also, baby will need it's own coverage after birth - and those costs are going to consume more than the mother's maternity care (assuming no complications).

My sister-in-law had a c-section without insurance and she's still paying it off and the kid just turned 5.

[EminTX 131]

My own midwife here in Houston is one of the priciest at a normal cost of 5000U$ for the entire pregnancy (prenatal care, L&D, and post natal check-ups). Because we have used her services before, we are getting a considerable discount. Even though my insurance is supposed to cover a portion of this, they are jacking us around and I don't have my hopes up. Location determines price more than anything in midwifery.

While we are stable, we aren't rich and this soon-to-be-born person IS a financial hit. That trip home that I promised my new husband he could take every year just aint gonna happen.