The billing department told me they were going to send a global payment to my insurance?

Question

Pretty much meaning they weren't filing any cliams until I deliver then they would just send one giant bill to the insurance. Is this common? I am worried because I am no longer and school and I'm sure the insurance will drop me soon, I don't want to have thousands of dollars worth of medical bill after I deliver.

Answer 1

For maternity claims, it is standard for the doctor to bill for all services rendered up to and including delivery. It's possible that you could get COBRA coverage since you are losing coverage under your parents. The next option is to pay a cash discounted rate to your providers-they may offer you the same rate the insurance would have paid them or some other rate. The last possibility is to apply for medicaid in your state. However, they only allow you to go back 3 months from the time you apply for coverage, so if you think you will qualify, apply now.

Answer 2

If there is an end to a billing period, and you are approaching that, it may be to the company's benefit to shift claims across the billing period boundary. This may or may not accord with insurance company rules. But while you individually may not be allowed to do this, companies often are allowed to do it. Why? Insurers understand that paying companies want to minimize payout. They will only shift claims to reduce payout.

By moving your claim later, they increase the chance that your annual maximum will be exceeded for the following year. You might even be off the books later on. It seems to be almost always a win for the company.