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Health insurance question/vent
Ugh, I'm so sick of thinking about insurance! It seems pretty likely that I'm not going to be getting health insurance through work any time soon (I didn't get that job I interviewed for). So now my only option is to get a personal plan but they are insanely expensive.
On top of that, apparently you have to pay for maternity coverage for a year before you can use it at all. DH and I are (were) planning to reassess at the end of the year when we want to start trying. We'd both love to have kids ASAP, but we need to know that our financial situation is more in order. The plan was to see what kind of jobs we have by the end of the year (after DH will have graduated and passed the bar) and then maybe start trying in the beginning of 2012. It would be a big deal financially to pay for maternity coverage now, especially when I'm not sure if I will even want to use it in a year. Would you sign up for it now so it's available when you might want it, or would you save your money and just put off having a baby for who knows how long? Sorry to whine, but insurance sucks!
Re: Health insurance question/vent
The maternity coverage BCBS offered in my plan (which I did not have) was a $1500 deductible and 160/month (can't remember exact amount) or $2000 deductible and 140/month. I'm not sure how much money it would be saving me if i HAD maternity coverage which I don't. I cash pay my OB (which is $2750 total. but they split it into payments over 6 months) and the hosiptal bill is negotiable and also payed in monthly payments so, I am not too worried about that. (I've talked to several people about their bill at the same hospital and it was not as excessive as I thought it would be)
What I am trying to say is I am not sure how much money maternity coverage would be saving me especially if I had been paying for maternity coverage for a year like you say you have to do then the deductible and whatever co-pay for each visit.
Also, wanted to say that a C-Section is covered under my regular insurance since it's major surgery.
I hope this helps! GL!
Do you git hit with the extra tax when you file; we have a friend that somehow dodges the "lack of health insurance" tax adder each year, but I'm betting that it's going to catch up with him soon.
DX: 6/9/2011: Azoo ICSI/IVF only option for biological child
IVF #1: ER - 9/26 * ET - 10/1 * beta#1 10/13 - 140 * beta#2 10/17 - 477 * beta#3 10/20 - 1101
1st u/s at 6w6d - one hb * 2nd u/s at 8w3d - no hb detected 11/10/11 * natural m/c 11/13/11
FET #1 Jan/Feb 2012 - 3 delays - cancelled 2/13
FET #1.2 - May/June 2012 - ET 6/6/* beta#1 6/15 - 95 * beta #2 6/19 - 322 * beta #3 6/22 - 940
7/6 1st u/s @ 7 weeks - one beautiful hb - released from RE
EDD 2/22/2013
PAIF/SAIF/PGAL welcome
I live in Illinois, so I don't know if this applies up here. I'm assuming it doesn't, because I was uninsured for about a year after DH and I got married. How insane though! I almost wish I would get hit with this, because I think it's totally ripe for a legal challenge and would give me something to do! These fees are essentially a tax on your existence, which I do not think pass constitutional muster.
I'm wondering if that is a Massachusetts thing? I know plenty of people in Florida who have been without coverage at one time or another and never incurred any fines. Isn't it mandatory in there to have it?
It's a Massachusetts thing; they passed it in 2008 (I think) - I feel like I had to file the paperwork twice with my income taxes. When I got married and went on DH's insurance, my work made me sign a waiver that said I was actually getting health insurance through another source and would still meet state health care requirements - it wasn't a state issued form, I think they were doing a CYA.
DX: 6/9/2011: Azoo ICSI/IVF only option for biological child
IVF #1: ER - 9/26 * ET - 10/1 * beta#1 10/13 - 140 * beta#2 10/17 - 477 * beta#3 10/20 - 1101
1st u/s at 6w6d - one hb * 2nd u/s at 8w3d - no hb detected 11/10/11 * natural m/c 11/13/11
FET #1 Jan/Feb 2012 - 3 delays - cancelled 2/13
FET #1.2 - May/June 2012 - ET 6/6/* beta#1 6/15 - 95 * beta #2 6/19 - 322 * beta #3 6/22 - 940
7/6 1st u/s @ 7 weeks - one beautiful hb - released from RE
EDD 2/22/2013
PAIF/SAIF/PGAL welcome
FWIW, our insurance agent gave us quotes for DH's individual policies ranging from $100-200/month. On my plan, we were paying $300 for him. Ick. I can give you his information if you are interested in some different options.
When I had DD and got all of the insurance EOBs, I sat down and totaled up everything billed and what we paid. For a normal pregnancy and normal vaginal delivery, it was $28k+. We paid $630 in copay + deductible. It might be worth getting some maternity/pediatric insurance ... you never know what is going to happen and NICU charges add up quickly.
Another something I learned after the fact: If you do have insurance and they tell you that your child is covered for the first 30 days, the child is only covered if you add them to your existing policy. To add DD to my policy, it would be $432/month. For her own individual policy, it was $140/month. Clearly, going with the individual plan was the best route financially. Especially since I was under the impression that MY plan would cover her for the first 30 days. However, when I signed up for DD's plan, she wasn't covered for 90 days. if you don't choose your insurance co. and add your kid to that policy, you end up paying out of pocket for 30-90 days because they are penalizing that poor human who didn't "exist" before or have insurance prior to birth. Ugh. What a PITA insurance is now.