pregnant without health insurance?

Question

A good friend of mine is going through a high risk pregnancy.
She is a stay at home mom. Her husband does not get benefits through his job so he was paying out of pocket for it. Recently they ran into some hard times and could not afford to pay their premiums so their policy was cancelled. She is 7 months and is having a lot of complications now. She is very depresed. I did not know what to tell her, I suggested that she call around to see if an ob/gyn can bill her but she won't do it.
I don't know what else to tell her, I'm pregnant myself and this is stressing me out. What would you do if you were in her shoes?

Answer 1

she might very well be qualified for state assistance. there is no shame in that! (LOL that is what i am on...my husband's employment does not offer it and because i am high risk also, if we bought our own it would be about $1200 a MONTH!) i beg of you to try to get your friend to explore that option! the state would GLADLY chip in now to prevent a preterm birth that could land her and her child in the hospital (of course, they would have her apply then) and end up costing the state hundreds and THOUSANDS of dollars! my oldest child was premature and ONLY spent 9 days in the hospital (miraculous considering she was 2 months early) and just HER bill was over $250,000! i did have insurance at the time and the state kicked in for the rest.

but know ultimately the decision is hers. you can't make her do anything. don't let it stress YOU out. that's not good for you or your baby. :) just know if you were in her position you would know what you would do and be at peace with it! good luck to you both!

Answer 2

I had the same problem. My husband works, no insurance. I am self-employed, no insurance. This is our first baby. I went thru everything to try and get Medicaid, my husband makes too much. So, I searched on the internet and found a Christian (I'm not religious) Pregnancy Center. They are supper sweet, and charge a low rate, based on income. Our prenatal care will total $1800. That includes everything. I called some hospitals that my midwife & doctor deliver at, and they charge a special rate for people w/o insurance also. Our birth, depending on how many days, epidural, circumsision (sp?), will cost $1300-$4000. It really is cheaper. Births can cost over $10,000. I think we are getting a deal. Plus it is a really great hospital & Doctors. I was truely scared in the beginning because I wanted the best for my child. It took some calling around, and a little research, but I am really happy now. If you really think about it, alot of people have hospital bills for years after a baby is born....don't strees yourself out, worrying about her situation, you can't make her do anything. Plus, you don't need the extra stress. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Yikes. If your husband's income is too high then you will not qualify for Medicaid. But you can always try. Another solution is to file for legal separation from your husband and shh... no one has to know that you've done it. Then, you will qualify for Medicaid for your entire pregnancy. You may qualify anyway without having to do that. There's like an emergency type Medicaid just for pregnancies. I would call and find out all of the details or look it up on the Department of Social Services website before actually going in to apply.

Answer 4

I was in this exact situation one year ago-pregnant with no health insurance. In the state of Kentucky, if you are pregnant you are automatically eligible for Medicaid, which pays for EVERYTHING- all of your Dr. visits, having the baby, hospital stay, prescriptions, and your 6 week post partum check-up. You should tell your friend to check into this at her local government office. She should qualify- no state should let a pregnant woman go uninsured.

Answer 5

Go to the local Health Center and ask to speak with a Social Worker and apply for MEDICAID. Applying for MEDICAID is a tedious process but it's worth it, considering they don't have insurance. MEDICAID is good until the baby is 2 months old.

Answer 6

she needs to go to a local health and human services department to see if she is eligible for medicaid. not sure how it is in your state, but in texas, medicaid covers the mother until the baby is 1 month old, and the baby will stay on medicaid for a year until she'd have to renew. also, if she's on medicaid, she's automatically elligible for WIC, which will definetly come in handy to cover formula costs. if she's not eligible for medicaid, they should be able to help her find affordable coverage.

Answer 7

Apply for Medicaid. or if she does not qualify, or go to http://www.maternitycard.com/ this is like a discount card so she will not have to pay as much. Too bad we all can't have free health care like in Canada!

Answer 8

I am assuming she would qualify for some kind of state assistance. They always take care of the pregnant women. Have her check into it and into WIC also. Good luck.

Answer 9

Sorry public assistance is nearly impossible to get these days. However there are number of programs run by various state agencies to help ensure and help with healthy childbirth. Not knowing what state you are in makes it hard to tell what programs are available.

Answer 10

she should look into getting on state welfare until they can get back on their feet financially. or try calling the local hospital and see if they have a clinic. sometimes they offer free care or care at reduced cost.