My wife is pregnant, and we don't have insurance, how can we pay for the baby?

Question

I'm self-employed and make a decent living, but I can't afford health insurance. I bring in around $90,000 a year, but my AGI is between 35-40,000. I have two children already, and this one definitely wasn't planned!

Answer 1

try medicaid.. look into health plans in your area

Answer 2

midwives are about $2000 for all the prenatal and delivery but you have to be open to home birth. Many doctors and hospitals will give a cash discount for patients without insurance so I would call around and do some investigating.

Answer 3

medicaid

Answer 4

See if there is a local non-profit clinic.  In our county in Virginia anyone can get reduced cost medical care on a sliding scale at the county medical clinic.  As for ob/gyn...that may or may not be offered.  Call the county services department to see what your area offers.

Also, if you live near a university teaching hospital, there should be a similar clinic.  University of Minnesota has this.

Good Luck.

Answer 5

Well the good news is that for the OB/GYN the visits and the delivery are all included in one lump sum.  Tests will be additional though.  At the OB/GYN office I used to work for, we used to set up payments plans for the couple to pay monthly so the delivery would be paid in full before her due date.  It was roughly about $200 - $300 per month depending on how she was planning to deliver (vaginally or by c-section).  The couples would then contact the hospital and make the same arrangements with them.

Answer 6

With your AGI you will not qualify for Medicaid. Your only viable option is to contact the doctor and hospital and arrange a payment plan. Cross your fingers and hope there are no complications.

Do not fall for the discount card scam. Most doctors won't accept these cards and the ones that do will give you the same price with the card as you can negotiate without the card. States are looking very closely at these cards and are actually starting to ban them, as you can see here: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/wes...

Answer 7

You need to check with the local welfare agency. In PA all women without health care coverage are eligible for free health care through the county. Call the local welfare office and have them give you an application.

Answer 8

Good news!  It takes babies nine months to "cook".  So $1,000 a month should cover all your prenatal and a cash hospital birth.  And half of that would cover all the prenatal and a birthing center birth, or home birth (both of which are actually safer than hospital births).  

You make twice the average household income in the USA.  You won't qualify for welfare insurance.   You'll have to cut back, if your budget is too tight to accomodate the extra expenses.

Answer 9

Big mistake, as you well realize since you cannot provide for legitimate and realistic needs of the two you already have - no health insurance means kids can really be shortchanged on necessary care.  Your actual gross income after business expenses is below US median income. (The business's or company's income is not YOUR gross income!  Common misperception, miscalculation.)  Your family really needs a working wife with a good health insurance plan.

Your alternatives now are midwife care, which is less expensive, or work out a payment plan for maternity & delivery care and start paying the monthly payments now.  It is too late to get any coverage for the new baby, so if the sonogram, etc. shows any problems, you do need to factor into any decision how much you would have to shortchange your two children in time, attention, energy, care, etc as well as further sacrifice to their financial needs.

You have no chance of qualifying for state medicaid, etc with your income, but clinics with sliding scale payments are a bit cheaper than private doctors even if you are near the max on their scale.  They might work out a payment plan for prenatal care, but be careful of what they do about delivery - you could be standing high & dry at the hospital's billing office.

Good luck.

Answer 10

I have a discount medical card.. and it works for hospitals!! i'm in Wis.  What happens.. is you get a basic health plan for $30 a month and you could even get it a month before she goes in to the hospital.. if you want.. if you can afford the visits. or you could use it and get discounts off that as well.  I don't think that other person who commented actually has one of these cards cause he can probably Afford the regular expensive ins. coverage!!  I can't though!  

When you go to the hospital, if the bill goes over $2500, they have an advoate work directly with the hospital to get the bills down as much as possible.  Usually it's over 50% the full pirce!  Negociating with the hospital and doctors does not help!  They wouldn't give me ANY discount for an ultrasound or appointments  I had done!  I begged and pleaded and went in for over 6 months afterwards and they still made me pay the whole price on a monthly plan!  I don't know of any doctor that will negociate!! because you can always go somewhere else if you don't want to pay their prices!

AmeriPlan USA will accept ongoing conditions.. and it's a great alternative to nothing at all!  

If you have any questions my info is on the contact section.. i'll be of any help I can.

I'd  love to know if you DO try to negociate with them, what they say.. or if they just say sorry can't, go somewhere else!!  

Send me a message if you have any questions..

Thank you and any baby is a blessing.. planned or not!  It just doesn't seem like it financially at the time!!

=0)

Answer 11

call the hospital where you are going to deliver now and you can start to pre pay her and the babys stay now, same with the dr. so much each month adds up,  so that will cut down on expense's. call your ins rep and see what you can do about getting the baby on as soon as it is born so you don't get kicked with the after birth expense's or may prorate insurance now.