Insurance questions.?

Question

Hello, I am five weeks pregnant and I do not have medical insurance. As of March 23 I graduated from college. I was able to be on my father's plan while I was in school but immediately after I was dropped.

I have been looking for alternatives to claiming COBRA which would cost me around $800 a month. I live in California and I am aware of Medi-Cal but a friend of mine has told me that if you notify Medi-Cal who the father is, they will turn around and charge him. Is this true?

I tried to apply for my own personal insurance plan and was denied. So I am a bit frustrated and don't know what my next step should be.

Help!

Answer 1

If you apply for Medi-Cal they will NOT deny you coverage. They NEVER deny a pregnant woman medical coverage! (I live in CA also and my husbands best friend works at the main office here).
If you are married they look at both your incomes, if you are un-married .. then you will not have to pay anything out of pocket.
They will NOT go after the father for medical bills, but they will go after the father for child support (if you are getting government assistance) (cash) after the baby is born.
They will give you the $$ upfront and then try to get reimbursed from him.

good luck! God bless!

Answer 2

You can ask, but the lawyer really messes things up. They slow down payments, and the lawyer suggests litigation to the insurance company, so likely you'll have to wait for ALL the claim to be settled - either in a court hearing, or via private settlement. YOUR car insurance company is only required to pay "medical payments" coverage, up to the limit. After six months, likely the limits are exhausted. Something else - the police DO NOT determine fault. THe officer can offer an opinion - which may or may not be upheld by the judge. I'd suggest if this insurance company was so slow to offer medical bills and accept liability for the accident, you have several things going on: 1. you have a comparative liability amount, depending on state law 2. the driver isn't covered by their policy, in which case good luck collecting from them directly 3. fault is being contested. The other insurance company won't even TALK to you, and neither will YOURS, regarding this claim, if you've hired a lawyer to represent you. THEY CAN'T. They can ONLY talk to your lawyer. ASK YOUR LAWYER, hey, what's the holdup. Why isn't there a settlement offer NOW. The settlement / liability offer should have been on the table within 2 months after the accident - even if it was just for the medical bills. Your lawyer probably knows EXACTLY what the holdup is. If you want to speed this up, fire the lawyer, and deal with the other insurance company directly. If you insist on working through the lawyer, well, he's already told you, it's going to take 13 more months. That sounds like a trial to me.

Answer 3

I live in Oregon & am much in the same boat. I tried private insurance companies, and was denied due to my "pre-existing condition" aka pregnancy. I applied for Oregon Health Plan - and was denied - even though I am pregnant and considered "high risk." There are a few smaller groups of private doctors around that help out pregnant women - try googling "Partners in Medicine" in your area. I know that a lot of counties Health Departments offer low cost prenatal care.

As far as the state charging the father - I don't know how true that can be if it can't be proven who the father is until after birth. A woman could name any man as the father - what if he's not? I doubt the state could legally charge someone based on an assumption.

Anyhow - my experience: I'm on my own and having to pay for the whole pregnancy out of pocket. I hope it goes better for you. Good luck!!

Answer 4

Is there a planned parenthood anywhere available? They might be able to provide prenatal care, and more information on your options. I don't know about California, but in Iowa they had title 19 insurance, which is for those who don't have insurance. I was married at the time, and we were in between jobs, so this also qualified me for WIC, and food stamps.

Answer 5

They will not make the father pay. Go apply for Medi-cal. It is there for women and children who are not able to afford health insurance.

Answer 6

Yes, $800 seems very high. You may want to try a website that compares multiple companies at once to get you the best price. I am paying less than ½ after I did.

Go to: http://www.insureme.com/landing.aspx?Refby=616163&Type=health

Take care,
Casey

Answer 7

Why not get a job that offers benefits, you said you went to college. Until then try planned parenthood with a sliding fee.

Answer 8

I would look into getting a job that will cover you. It will still cover you when you are on family leave (maternity) Also talk to the father see if he can help

Answer 9

try calling around to your local clinics or job and family services will help you in getting insurance for you and your baby . good luck

Answer 10

Call the number at the end for the health dept. They will help you.
When you don’t have money to get the care you need, here are some free resources for you, read through them, and pick up the phone, and get your needed help.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/financialassistance.html
http://ask.hrsa.gov/pc/
http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=18
http://www.hrsa.gov/help/default.htm
http://www.thefrugallife.com/medicalalternative.html
http://www.google.com/search?q=Free+Low+Cost+Medical+Health+Services+&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&start=10&sa=N

Free and low cost prescription medication:
http://www.xubex.com/
https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?section=about_medications&Template=/ContentManagement/contentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=19169
http://www.themedicineprogram.com/links.html

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/support/financial-assistance

Financial Assistance and Other Resources for People With Cancer:Cancer imposes heavy economic burdens on both patients and their families. For many people, a portion of medical expenses is paid by their health insurance plan. For individuals who do not have health insurance or who need financial assistance to cover health care costs, resources are available, including Government-sponsored programs and services supported by nonprofit organizations. Cancer patients and their families should discuss any concerns they may have about health care costs with their physician, medical social worker, or the business office of their hospital or clinic.


This is about FREE hospitalization, if you need it and they WILL help you!
http://www.hrsa.gov/hillburton/default.htm
Hill Burton Hotline
1-800-638-0742
(1-800-492-0359 in Maryland)
In 1946, Congress passed a law that gave hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities grants and loans for construction and modernization. In return, they agreed to provide a reasonable volume of services to persons unable to pay and to make their services available to all persons residing in the facility’s area. The program stopped providing funds in 1997, but about 300 health care facilities nationwide are still obligated to provide free or reduced-cost care.
http://www.hrsa.gov/help/default.htm
Medicaid is for people under 65, medicare is for the seniors.
How to apply for Medicaid or medicare
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidEligibility/
http://www.aarp.org/money/lowincomehelp/applying_for_medicaid.html

For information about Social Security, Medicare, and disability benefits, call the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213.
http://www.ssa.gov/

For information about Medicaid, contact your local social service or welfare office. You can also find information about Medicare and Medicaid at www.CMS.gov

How To Pay for Mental Health Services
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/KEN98-0050/default.asp
http://depression.about.com/cs/findadoc/a/freelowcosttx.htm
Additional Public Benefits for Families Raising Children: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/financialassistance.html
DENTAL HELP:
Free or low cost dental care United States
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/53F91091-23DB-47F3-8782-6572C33F9D42/0/LowCostFactsheet.pdf
http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/dental/dentalfaq.php
FREE AND LOW COST DENTAL HELP FOR DENTURES , BROKEN TEETH , PAIN , ETC.
http://dental-assistance.app-sl-1.aidpage.com/dental-assistance/

Need eyeglasses or eye care?
http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/financialaid.asp
http://www.uniteforsight.org/freeclinics.php

Free Mammogram:
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/
How to Get a Free or Low Cost Pap Smear, The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides free or low cost Pap smears to eligible women across the country. Through this program, uninsured and impoverished women can receive Pap smears at local clinics and doctor's offices.
Here’s a list for every state:
http://cancer.about.com/od/screeninganddiagnosis/a/freepapsmear.htm

Where can I go to get free or reduced-cost prenatal care?
You can call this number if you need free birth control help, too!
Women in every state can get help to pay for medical care during their pregnancies. This prenatal care can help you have a healthy baby. Every state in the United States has a program to help. Programs give medical care, information, advice and other services important for a healthy pregnancy.
To find out about the program in your state:
· Call 1-800-311-BABY (1-800-311-2229) This toll-free telephone number will connect you to the Health Department in your area code
· For information in Spanish, call 1-800-504-7081
· Call or contact your local Health Department.