In A Mild Panic - Page 2

[deymm]

ugh, that totally sucks! (((HUGS))) to you!

[confustication]

I'm in a different state, but my provider left as well, and I'm without options. I'm forced into a high c-section ate, very intervention happy practice.

I've concluded that my only hope of the natural childbirth I want will involve staying home for as long as possible (it's an hour commute) and heading to the hospital only when there isn't enough time for a cascade of interventions.

Homebirth isn't an option, and UC here will raise a ruckus with CPS.

[babymammachurch]

We're all in this together! I'm scrambling for a new plan now myself -- due in 6 weeks. I'm hoping to know something more in the next day or so and then be able to make a decision.

[StrongFeather]

Just wanted to say I am so sorry you are going through this at this time! I hope you get it all resolved and quickly for your sanity.

[zenproof]

THANK YOU GUYS ALL SO MUCH. You all rock. And Im sorry for anyone who has been or is in a similar boat.

Michelle - I will be in touch. The place I was going to was Isis. And I will be meeting with Margaret next tues for an appt. I can only hope she is able to offer some comfort that there will be a plan B that works for all these mammas left out to dry. I'd love to hear more from you though...

Ednaldine & Babymamma - I SO HEAR YOU. Tell me about the drama. Everytime I go.... I'm so over it too, and I don't know why I should be surprised that this has happened. I have thought about Kay also - but am going to sit tight and see what I find out next week.

I spoke with my doula at great length today and she was very supportive - and a bit clued into all thats been going on. We discussed a bit the home birth route - and I will be giving it some thought. More so if I have too, but I really want a hospital water birth at north fulton with a midwife!!! ugh. especially this being my first. Im not comfortable taking the insurance risk that something would happen and we would wind up paying out of pocket at a hospital.

I just really hope that wherever these ladies land (anjli or marg.) that it will be somewhere that my insurance continues to accept. blah.

have i mentioned this sucks?

[MichelleAnnette]

Originally Posted by zenproof

Michelle - I will be in touch. The place I was going to was Isis. And I will be meeting with Margaret next tues for an appt. I can only hope she is able to offer some comfort that there will be a plan B that works for all these mammas left out to dry. I'd love to hear more from you though...

Yeah, just let me know if you want to know more about my year and a half old knowledge of the ATL birth scene or anything about my midwives. Hopefully Margaret will have some answers for you. About insurance - if you planned a homebirth but then did transfer to a hospital, I think your insurance would cover the hospital just like if you were planning to birth there. That is the case with my insurance and I don't know how it could be any different. I mean, if they would cover it if you were planning the hospital birth, why would they not cover it if you planned a homebirth but then went to the hospital?? Something that some moms do is "plan" a hospital birth with an OB/CNM but *really* be planning a homebirth. In other words, the OB/CNM does not know you are planning a homebirth. They will likely be mad if they find out, though, BUT you have a back up IF you need the hospital. Dr. Barrett stopped doing homebirth back-up during my pregnancy (insurance was the official reason) so I said, okay let's just play don't ask don't tell. He was okay with that since I was already a patient of his and was very low risk, but after he officially dropped all his homebirth patients, I did NOT mention homebirth again, although I went back to him at 6 weeks post partum to thank him for providing back up and tell him my birth went great. At my 39 week visit, he said, "I don't expect to see you next week" and I did have my baby before my next appt, so he for sure knew I was planning a homebirth. GA laws regarding homebirth really suck.

Anyway, things will work out for you one way or another.

[zenproof]

this dr. sounds pretty cool.

i have heard about this - my prenatal yoga instructor at Pierce, who is also a doula - mentioned that some women do this. it really just pissed me off how you have to cheat the system to have healthy, covered, options available to you.

its all so jacked.

so would i just call the insurance company and basically say " im planning a home birth for my child - but if for some reason i have to go to the hospital in the event of an emergency, will i be covered" ???? not that im there yet (home birth wise) - but just for the sake of conversation.

i was told by my doula that all the midwives around here for homebirths either have an relationship with some dr. or hospital for that purpose. so i guess there is little question that you would be taken care of - just more of whether the insurance would cover it. i have BCBS.

where did you move to? hope you dont have to deal with any of this shyte anymore. georgia is SO BEHIND!!!

also - i have been 'advised' by some well connected folks on all this to just sit it out. that something will come of this and hopefully i get to stay with them. I just REALLY hope they land somewhere that is 'in network'.

so im doing my best. to chill.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by zenproof

so would i just call the insurance company and basically say " im planning a home birth for my child - but if for some reason i have to go to the hospital in the event of an emergency, will i be covered" ???? not that im there yet (home birth wise) - but just for the sake of conversation.

Nope. You call them up and say "I'm pregnant - what coverage do I have, what practitioners do you cover, what hospitals can I go to, etc."

If you're not asking them to cover your HB, they don't need to know about it. And even if they ARE covering your HB - the only thing you need to know about the hospitals is what hospitals they cover, and if some are considered out-of-network.

Never give them more information than they need to do their jobs - it just confuses them.

[acemama]

Yes, a hospital birth after a homebirth transfer is still a hospital birth and covered by insurance. I too have BCBS and would have to pay our deductible ($225) and then we would be responsible for 20% of the bill after that up to $1500 for me and $1500 for the baby so our max hospital cost would be $3225 out-of-pocket. (last time we didn't meet our max so in reality it was less than $3000). Our homebirth will cost $1400 + birth kit ($50) so it's much cheaper for us this way

[acemama]

Originally Posted by cristeen

Nope. You call them up and say "I'm pregnant - what coverage do I have, what practitioners do you cover, what hospitals can I go to, etc."

If you're not asking them to cover your HB, they don't need to know about it. And even if they ARE covering your HB - the only thing you need to know about the hospitals is what hospitals they cover, and if some are considered out-of-network.

Never give them more information than they need to do their jobs - it just confuses them.

:

[zenproof]

Originally Posted by acemama

Yes, a hospital birth after a homebirth transfer is still a hospital birth and covered by insurance. I too have BCBS and would have to pay our deductible ($225) and then we would be responsible for 20% of the bill after that up to $1500 for me and $1500 for the baby so our max hospital cost would be $3225 out-of-pocket. (last time we didn't meet our max so in reality it was less than $3000). Our homebirth will cost $1400 + birth kit ($50) so it's much cheaper for us this way

interesting. i just wandered if any of that had to do with the dr delivering the baby.

for example. i have a 3000 delivery fee to pay - then insurance covers 100% (so either way they are getting 3k out of you..bastards). it has to be an in-network hospital. but is there a chance that the dr delivering you could be 'out of network' and then you get a bill from him??? or would it be an 'er dr' or something? i effing hate insurance.

if the 3,000 dollar 'fee' would be our only liability if something went wrong and i had to have a transfer...i might actually consider it.

ahhhhh! hopefully i get some answers in the next week about the midwives...maybe at my appt next tuesday.

thanks for all this info guys.


* now im all paranoid about 'paper trails' and 'pre-existing condition'. haaaaaaaaa. we pay almost 9k a YEAR in insurance premiums and hardly ever go to a dr. it is INSANE that we should ever have to worry about getting help when we really need it. this is just another reason i want to move to FRANCE! ack.

[acemama]

I know with our insurance during any emergency all hospitals/Dr's are considered "in-network". However, I am not sure what the insurance company would classify as an emergency during labor/birth.

I will tell you that I was seeing a CNM at the start of this pregnancy (she too left the area) I was going too see her throughout my pregnancy for co-care, but fully planning to birth at home. She knew this was the plan. I did have to pay a $20 office visit fee everytime I would see her. But I would have her and her back-up OB in the case of a transfer. Talk with your CNM. I bet she can fill you in on any details you are fuzzy about. I am not in a home birth friendly state, but they happen and with OB's and CNM's fully aware of them

For the record, I did NOT tell our insurance company about our home birth plans. Why bother since they are not going to pay for it anyway. I wish they would pay because they would be saving themselves a TON of money compared to how much my hospital births have cost them. IIRC my last birth (hospital water birth, with only a hep lock and one night stay) cost about $14,000!!!!! (I think we had to pay just under $3000). Just look at how much the insurance company would save by covering my home birth! stupid insurance! I know I've seen BCBS pay for home births in other states.

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

sorry you're dealin w this mama!

[MichelleAnnette]

Originally Posted by zenproof

this dr. sounds pretty cool.

i have heard about this - my prenatal yoga instructor at Pierce, who is also a doula - mentioned that some women do this. it really just pissed me off how you have to cheat the system to have healthy, covered, options available to you.

its all so jacked.

so would i just call the insurance company and basically say " im planning a home birth for my child - but if for some reason i have to go to the hospital in the event of an emergency, will i be covered" ???? not that im there yet (home birth wise) - but just for the sake of conversation.

i was told by my doula that all the midwives around here for homebirths either have an relationship with some dr. or hospital for that purpose. so i guess there is little question that you would be taken care of - just more of whether the insurance would cover it. i have BCBS.

where did you move to? hope you dont have to deal with any of this shyte anymore. georgia is SO BEHIND!!!

also - i have been 'advised' by some well connected folks on all this to just sit it out. that something will come of this and hopefully i get to stay with them. I just REALLY hope they land somewhere that is 'in network'.

so im doing my best. to chill.

I live in northwest FL now where midwives (CPM's) are LICENSED!!!! It is so cool. There is only one mw in my area but that's fine b/c I like her a lot. GA is way behind, along with about half the other states. She has a back up OB that I do not have to see unless I need him and my insurance covers him. With my first, my back up OB (Barret) was covered by insurance, as was North Fulton. My homebirth was not covered at all. There are some moms in GA who have had homebirth covered (with my mw) so if you do go that route, you can probably connect with them and see how they did it. I am no insurance expert.

When I was still in ATL, all the mw's did NOT have back up OB's. This is a big problem for us moms! Esp first time moms. Barrett was the official back up for my mw for a couple months and then dropped everyone. I can think of two GA mw's I know had back up OB's while I lived there. They try to get back up OB's, but it is very difficult.

Homebirth would be cheaper for you, by the way, even if insurance covers no part of it. Hospital birth would have been 100% covered by insurance for me both times but I'm just not willing to take the risks associated with birthing in a hospital, no matter how natural birth friendly it is! If I'm going to a hospital, there will be a reason, and normal birth is not a reason to me.

[deymm]

If you think GA is behind, you should come to IL. CPM/DEMs have been forced to stop practicing (legally) but there are still some operating underground.

Only CNMs can attend homebirths here.

[zenproof]

Someone needs to shoot an email about all this to Obama. lol.

I know Im late in the game here, as in - this is no new news...but hell. What a bunch of crap. It all comes down to money. And Insurance. CAPITALISM!!!

:

[heybulldog]

If you haven't seen the other posts already, it looks like the CNM's are moving to Atlanta Medical Center. If you or any other readers follow them there, please let me know how it goes. I'm due at the end of August and my gut says to go with the CNM's, not North Fulton, but I'd like to hear some other folks' thoughts on that.

[zenproof]

off to check it out now...i hadn't heard anything. thanks for the tip off.