Insurance Just Screwed Me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. My income has been super low because I have been concentrating on this getting pregnant / IVF stuff for so long. My husband's is decent but then, he's supporting both of us on it. So I need to look into it.

I have yet to hear back from the idiots at Care First. I did look through this form to see that even 3 years ago someone posted "you call 3 times, you get 3 answers." that is still true.

My husband is taking on the duty of fighting with these morons tooth and nail. I am so beyond stressed from this I seriously had to just cry for an hour. I hate to pull this pity crap but we've been through so much to have a pregnancy actually take and now to find this out was just enough to make me consider popping some valium. (I didn't.)

I tried to call Providence hosp in Brookland but got the run around and finally disconnected. I called back and it went to voicemail so I left a message.

Sigh. I was just not equipped for this fight.

Why doesn't your husband work at a job that offers insurance. It seems like you guys had ample time to plan for him to get a job that does. He can still find a job that does, I don't get why you are insistent on spending a lot of effort fighting a policy that doesn't cover you when your husband should be pounding the pavement looking for a job with insurance benifits. You will defenetly want good insurance for your new kid.

[Anonymous]

Op here.

My husband has insurance but we're both self-employed. His is medically underwritten and I was denied coverage on his policy because of my visit to a dermatologist. Seriously. We will have good insurance for our kid. This is only pre-natal coverage that is in question. And I was promised 3 separate times that I had pre-natal coverage by them and now they're denying it, so I don't really know what else I should be doing.

Thanks for trying to solve our problem though.

[Anonymous]

OP again.

PP on DCHF THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting that CHIP contact info, the person I found shook some trees and emailed me yesterday to say she got a medicaid number out of the system so my approval was on its way - then today in the mail my package arrived.

Finally!

Thank you so much, it is such a relief to have this off my plate for a year now, to know that I have coverage for prenatal since CareFirst doesn't care to respond to any of their former promises. I really appreciate your help and guidance on this, I literally could NOT have done it without you.

[Anonymous]

OP-- this is the DCHF poster and I am so happy for you! I'm glad that I could help, no one should go without health insurance in this country ever--especially pregnant women and children. The best of luck on the rest of your pregnancy and a happy, healthy 2012

[Anonymous]

You are awesome! If I knew who you were I'd take you out for lunch now and drinks after the pregnancy!!

[Anonymous]

I'm glad this worked out. A real success story from the DCUM boards! It sounds like the system is so difficult that it wouldn't have been possible to navigate it without some help.

[Anonymous]

Yay! I am happy for you OP.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks! It was basically impossible without the help of this forum. I have already written my letter telling the appropriate people how bad my experience was so they can hopefully improve it for everyone else.

[Anonymous]

How great! Score one for DCUM!

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, if you are out there...
This is the DCHF poster and I was wondering how you are doing a year plus later!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go give birth in England
Or Mexico?
Canada is also a good option

I agree.

[Anonymous]

We had our baby for around $3500 at the NOVA Natural Birth Center. If there are complications, they can call 911 and go to the hospital. You could get a midwife and have a home birth.

You can try your best to cut down on costs by dedicating to have a natural birth at the hospital. No drugs, no staying overnight, minimize procedures, labor at home as long as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had our baby for around $3500 at the NOVA Natural Birth Center. If there are complications, they can call 911 and go to the hospital. You could get a midwife and have a home birth.

You can try your best to cut down on costs by dedicating to have a natural birth at the hospital. No drugs, no staying overnight, minimize procedures, labor at home as long as possible.

This thread is a year old. But, why should anyone have to do this? You know you're on the hook for emergency room costs, right? And the OP *had insurance*!!!

Being pregnant is stressful enough without having to take the cheapest delivery option and just keep your fingers crossed about emergencies. I hate reading stories like this, and I am so glad maternity coverage will be mandated in less than a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, if you are out there...
This is the DCHF poster and I was wondering how you are doing a year plus later!

Hello! It's the OP!!

How random, I happened to talk to someone who just posted the other thread about not having insurance that covers prenatal and after talking we realized she was referred to my thread here on Healthy Families. She said "is that where someone said they waited all day with nothing to eat or drink?" I said "that someone was me!" Too funny.

I had the baby last summer and she's doing great! I still have not paid one cent for any prenatal or L&D, it seems like it's continuing to be fought out between the insurance companies. Care First ended up paying all but $500 of my L&D charges, but did not pay the doctor's fee of $1700. Those are still outstanding but no one has billed me for it. By the way, the total bill for L&D ran $27K because I had a C-section (totally unwanted and unexpected.)

I am assuming at this point that the balance of the prenatal bills were picked up by Medicare/Healthy Families. I am so so so thankful for your direction on this, you really saved us a ton of money and I swear I really do want to take you out for your help, you are awesome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, if you are out there...
This is the DCHF poster and I was wondering how you are doing a year plus later!

Hello! It's the OP!!

How random, I happened to talk to someone who just posted the other thread about not having insurance that covers prenatal and after talking we realized she was referred to my thread here on Healthy Families. She said "is that where someone said they waited all day with nothing to eat or drink?" I said "that someone was me!" Too funny.

I had the baby last summer and she's doing great! I still have not paid one cent for any prenatal or L&D, it seems like it's continuing to be fought out between the insurance companies. Care First ended up paying all but $500 of my L&D charges, but did not pay the doctor's fee of $1700. Those are still outstanding but no one has billed me for it. By the way, the total bill for L&D ran $27K because I had a C-section (totally unwanted and unexpected.)

I am assuming at this point that the balance of the prenatal bills were picked up by Medicare/Healthy Families. I am so so so thankful for your direction on this, you really saved us a ton of money and I swear I really do want to take you out for your help, you are awesome!

That's so great, OP! Glad to hear it worked out for you. As far as Carefirst paying all but $500 of L&D, would that have been the case even without Healthy Families?