Doctor refusing to provide treatment to birthmother.?

Question

My OB/GYN is refusing to see me because I am considering giving my baby up for adoption and have contacted an agency who has helped me establish Medicaid coverage for the pregnancy. They have told the agency that they will no longer accept me as a patient unless the agency pays for their services up front. I do not understand why this should matter, if I was keeping the baby I would still be using Medicaid regardless and there would be no problem. I am upset about having to find another doctor as this has been my doctor for years and I do not think this is right. Has anyone encountered anything like this before is there anything I can do to resolve this so I can continue to see my doctor? Or is the damage already been done?

Answer 1

My guess is, it has something to do with the agency itself.

They probably WANT you to go to one of "their" doctors, that way they can make sure you are convinced to give up your child.  I hate to say it, but once you get an agency involved, they will do whatever it takes to get your baby from you, even if you change your mind and want to parent.  

I hope you find another doctor ON YOUR OWN and don't go through the agency.  If you haven't fully made up your mind to reliquish, don't fall victim to adoption agency coercion tactics.  Make sure you are being seen by a NEUTRAL doctor.

Oh and DO NOT have the potential adopters pay for ANYTHING, it only obligates you to give up your own flesh and blood to them, should you change your mind about adoption.  You do NOT owe your child to ANYONE.

I wish you luck.  And really hope you'll decide to parent your baby.

Answer 2

Wow isn't that discrimination or something like that... I don' think that your Dr. can not provide you medical care because you are thinking about placing your baby for adoption.. What an idiot your Dr. is...I would defiantly find another one that will take you... If you ever want to talk about adoption or anything I could help you... I have a three year old son.. If you want any advice or help on anything you can send me a email.. [e-mail]...Thanks. I hope that you will get the answers you need...

Answer 3

Unfortunately, the same applies with adults on Medicare.  Hospitals and doctors have instructions from insurance companies to either dismiss patients early from treatment, or deny appts. (Conveniently are "too busy" or do not have openings in their schedules, etc), My father was released from heart surgery early from the hospital due to this, and he had to go back in 2 times for congestive heart failure. The bottom line here is that you "need" to be getting prenatal care now. Go to another doctor for God's sake! Afterall, would you really want to return to this lame organization that has known you for years, and is not helping you? s***w them, and shame on them.  Go do what is best for you and that baby, and get on with it.

Answer 4

Some doctors just don't accept Medicaid and maybe this is the case and that's why they are saying that the agency has to pay.  I don't think the doctor would deny services just because you chose adoption.

Answer 5

Ask the adoptive parents for their help. in many cases the adoptive parents will pay for the birth and prenatal visits.

Answer 6

why dont you have your agency transfer you to one of their docs office the should be able to transfer you to someone they know

Answer 7

That is so stupid!!  Change doctors for your baby's sake.  Deal with the issues later.  Report the doctor to Medicaid.  I don't know for a fact, but I don't think that a doctor has a right to refuse services to you if you have a valid medicaid account.

Answer 8

You know, I think you probably have much too much on your mind to worry about a unethical Doctor.  Please find another Doctor and focus on yourself and your baby.  There replenty of Docs to help you.  Good luck.

Answer 9

If they already accept DSHS payments they legally cannot require payment up front. It is a federal law! Even if someone has no insurance they cannot refuse treatment. All OB/GYNS have to wait until after the birth of the baby to require payment. I

Answer 10

PLease think about what your doing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 11

This sounds very fishy. I would contact the clinic manager and find out what is going on. If he had you as a patient, he can't drop you unless if feels he can't care for you properly such as high risk. I know some Dr only take some many Medicaids a month but you said he already accepted you. He may think there will be some problem with the agency and getting paid. Contact a lawyer and perhaps the medical ethics board

and God bless you

Answer 12

Wow, I've never heard of such a thing.  I don't see why it would matter either!!  Are you sure you want to go back to this doctor?  I don't think I would.  

Talk to the agency and I'm sure they will do everything to help you find a good doctor for the rest of your pregnancy.  Did you happen to ask the agency what they think about what your doctor is doing and if they've expereinced it before?

Good luck!!!

Answer 13

I am so sorry this is happening to you. I think you should discuss your options with the Adoption agency.  Have they let you know what will happen if they pay for your care and you change your mind? The reason I ask is the Doctor is probably aware of what the states laws are in the state you live. Most the time you will not have to pay this back so I think the Doctor may be aware of this and would like to get full payment, since Medicaid works out deals with the Doctor. Consider your options on the adoption. You will be able to make the right decision.  If you would like to talk, you can contact me at [e-mail]. I am an Adoptive Mother who wishes she could talk to her own children's Birth Moms! Best of Luck making your decision and getting this Medicaid/ Agency taken care of!

Answer 14

Your doctor has a right to see whomever he pleases, no matter who's paying.   Did you ever think that he might be morally opposed to you giving your child away to strangers?

Why don't you keep this child?  NO ONE can raise this child better than you can--I don't care how little money you have.  Things can change quickly--do not let lack of money now change you and your child's life forever.

I am adopted and wish so much that I had been raised with my mother.  We are reunited now, but we both lost so much.

Sounds like your doctor knows what many know, but not many say.  Adoption is no miracle.

Please go to originsusa.org to see what other 'birthmothers' are saying.

Answer 15

Something weird here.  Have you called the docs office yourself to try to clarify what is going on?  If not, I would do that.  Your medicaid, not the agency, should be handling your doctor's bills.  I'm wondering if the doctors office has some concerns about the legitimacy of the agency you have chosen.  Or, they might've been burned by an agency in the past, so they are being extra cautious this time around.  I would call the doctor's office for a better explanation and the Medicaid office (to verify that you are enrolled for coverage).

Answer 16

That's pathetic.  The doctor should be ashamed, if this is the reason for refusal of treatment.

You probably need to talk to Medicaid about your options.

Answer 17

absolutly do NOT ask the aparents for help with the child like the above poster said.

Do not accept ANYTHING from them.

When you have your child everything changes, and you should be able to make an honest attempt at parenting and raising your child if you want to. And if you've accepted anything from the potential aparents, it will be harder on you, and if you want to parent YOU SHOULD.

Answer 18

Why would you want to continue to see that doctor?  He sounds like a complete jerk.

Answer 19

I suspect that the agency is playing games with you.  I think that they are trying to steer in the direction of one of their staff OBs who they pay because he/she will pressure you to follow through with the adoption after birth.  Once your baby is born, you will feel a natural bond with him/her and the agency will want a doctor attending you who will coerce you into ignoring your motherly instincts.

I urge you to handle your own Medicaid arrangements and not let the agency s***w with that.  Regardless of your final decision, it is medically dangerous to let other parties dictate your medical care.  I have heard horror stories of "birth" mothers who receive shoddy medical treatment from agency MDs.  All they care about is delivering a healthy baby to the adoptive parents, and they could care less whether the "birth" mother gets decent care.

Answer 20

I am so sorry to hear you are going through this...especially since you are doing a totally mature thing by having all options open and looked into for you and your baby's sake.  

I'm wondering how people/society would act/respond to something posted in the local newspaper about this and how the doctors office is treating you and denying care to you and your unborn child......... I think you might want to look into that and it might be a rude awakening to them and their other patients......

I know you feel comfortable with this doctor...or at least in the past since you have been seeing this doctor for years.....but I really think you should consider finding a new doctor for your own safety! If they feel this way about you and are expressing it out loud.....who knows if you will even get the proper treatment or something worse.....

contact a few newspapers....lawyer etc...as well as find a new and better doctor.

Good luck to you and best wishes!

Answer 21

I would be really cautious about having the adoption agency and ESPECIALLY the adoptive parents be responsable for the costs. You already have medicaid, you can change doctors on your own. Just look through the list of providers, which should be available online.

When you make an adoption decision pre-birth, it's important to remember that you are not yet a birthparent, nor are the adoptive parents the parents. You reserve the right at any time to choose to parent your child. Create a parenting plan that will include where you will go home with the baby, how you would arrange for a car seat, etc etc BEFORE assuming you will choose adoption.

Also, remember the adoptive parents can wait, while you get to experience time with your child WITHOUT pressure to relinquish. There is no reason to make this decision before the birth.

If you set yourself up to have NO options once the baby is born , then you will be forced by circumstance into complying with the adoption decision, rather than deciding after you have the baby if what you really want is to part with your child, or setting up a situation where you prove to yourself that it's not possible to keep your child.

(And I'm betting it IS possible to keep your child, so don't surround yourself with people who will tell you otherwise, unless you are truly homeless/drug addicted/or a danger to your child!!!)

Answer 22

This should totally be against the law. Try consulting a lawyer

Answer 23

Some adoption agencies are not financially trustworthy, and your doctor may have run into a few of them.  One would think that Medicaid would pay the bills, but when it come down to payment, they push the bill back to the patient or the adoptive parents.

This is just an example of how, when people need help, they are buried in confusion and red tape to a point where they don't know what to do.  First, get on the phone to Medicaid.  Find out what the rules are and where you should go for prenatal treatment.  Forget the adoption agency. They can come into the picture later, if need be.

There are many clinics that take care of young mothers. Almost every hospital has them, and they have good, conscientious doctors.  They also accept Medicaid payments and will help you make that big decision about whether or not to keep your baby.  

Good luck, and remember...if you don't ask questions, you'll never know the answers.

Answer 24

Have Medicaid contact the doctors office to make arrangements.  I don't think they can demand payment before services are performed, but I'm not expert on the matter.  Its really odd of your doctor to act that way when he's been your doctor "for years".  Weird.

Answer 25

thats horrible.. you should let the agency knw you will need help with finding a dr.. and once all that clears up, inquire if that is even legal *it is unethical* a dr will turn away a patient .. from knwing u will give the baby up for adoption.., that sounds like the dr placed their personal feelings & opinions before making reasonable decision... good luck in  getting the new dr .. and bless you =)

Answer 26

Is it possible the Doctor simply doesn't want to be a party to seperating a baby from his/her momma?

You are the only person in the world that is baby wants to be cared for by. Your body can provide milk that is specifically designed for only your baby. Growing up without you is going to be like being orphaned, no one else can replace you in the way your baby emotionally and physically needs.

Read the Primal Wound....talk to some adoptees, there is nothing worse than loss of ones mother.

Answer 27

I am so sorry.

And yes, I can completely believe that a doctor would refuse to serve you because you're considering adoption.

Umm, not to scare you too much, but... the stigma just gets worse after you relinquish your rights. I am not trying to tell you what to do, but I do want you to be aware of what you're getting into, in case no one has warned you, you know? Because I wish someone had told me about the stigma of relinquishing a child. Would have helped to have been prepared.

Anyway... I honestly don't know what the laws are, because while it's illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc., there's no clause in there about adoption. My GUESS is that this is not legal and the doctor could be in trouble if reported, but that is SOLELY a guess.

If I were you, I'd start documenting every single thing the ob/gyn office says to you. Date, time, exact quote. Ask them to put in writing exactly why they won't serve you, or ask them to specify in writing that they want the agency to pay upfront. If they put it in writing for you, I'd then make numerous copies, and start sending copies out to people... whatever organization licenses the office, the medical ethics board, the better business bureau, your senators and representatives, the mayor... everyone.

What the doctor is doing is NOT okay. If the office accepts Medicaid in every other case, they should accept it in yours. Period.

((Hugs)) and I'm sorry.

P.S. I am glad to hear you are still looking into other options besides adoption. It really IS a good idea to have both a parenting plan and an adoption plan in place. Giving birth might change things for you... I was overwhelmed after my daughter's birth, I had NO idea how motivating my love for her would be after meeting her, seeing her. I now wish I"d had a parenting plan in place.

Good luck.

Answer 28

If your doctor is going to judge you like this, then you should find another doctor.  Even if you've seen him for years, do you want to force him to see you?  If you do that you'll probably receive a lower quality of care.

Answer 29

He's probably more concerned about the insurance legality of it all. I mean what if your insurance won't pay any of the baby's medical bills based on the fact that it's YOUR insurance and not legally YOUR baby anymore. Insurance companies will do a LOT to get out of having to pay for things. That's how they make their money.

Your doctor probably is not judging you for giving up the baby at all. Find out if their is a way to pay ahead of time and if not, you may have to use another doctor for this one. Sorry, I know that sucks.

Answer 30

Hey, ya know what, you're entitled to a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

I'm a birth mom and when I was in the Hospital, I encountered rude people, professional docors and nurses. I took their c**p and made it through.

your doctor is a jerk.

switch to a good one with morals similar to your own.

THREATEN TO TAKE THIS MATTER TO THE MEDICIAL BOARD. You don't have to actually do it, just threaten it.

Medicaid will cover the pregnancy and delivey and your postnatel care until 6 months up to a year after the birth, regardless as to whether or not you keep it.

Don't worry so much, the doctors nowadays are able to refuse birth control pills if they feel its wrong.

1. talk to your current doctor, if he/she still feels the same, threaten to report him.her to the states medicial board.

2. give it a day or so for him/her to reconsider.

3. Find another doctor forthe birth anyways, just so its easier on you.  Your Medicaid provider should have a directory of doctors in your area that accept medicaid and are respectful towards birthmothers.

4. Have the baby, with peace of mind.

I had a nasty nurse visit me in my rooms for all 3 pregnancie, and she always had nasty comments about my age, parenting capabilities, her view on the adoption, and how I wasn't waking up with the baby as she wanted because she didn't want to be feeding and changing his diapers and such. This past weekend, my brothers girl had a baby, and guess who still worked there, Jean. There was a young, scared girl in there about to deliver at 20 weeks, and she complained andsniveled the whole time.

I still need to file a complaint with the states med board about her. That woman has no right to say what she does.

Answer 31

it has nothing to do with you giving the baby up  Medicaid is slow to pay doctors and doctors are not required to take it.  Many don't want to deal with the government. Also medicaid pays less then they would get from private pay or insurance so you need to find a doctor who takes medicaid