Are you paying out of pocket for your HB?

[shellnurse]

Just wondering. I'm trying to figure out how to manifest the Midwife fee in the next four months and I've come up with; working tons of overtime, cashing out a small IRA, selling all DD's old toys (wouldn't make that much with that one).

I really want the support of a HB MW as I had a horrible hospital birth last time, but the struggle to pay keeps me wondering if it's really worth it.

Mostly just venting but wondering if anyone has come up with a great way to make cash in a hurry...

[lyterae]

Have you talked to the midwife to see if you can pay monthly? Our midwife will allow us to pay a set monthly fee until it's paid off. We should be able to pay it off in full in March, but if we had to pay it all right now there is no way we could afford it.

[coraljean]

You should talk to some midwives about your situation. They are often willing to set up a payment plan with you so you don't have to pay it all by your due date, and some of them are even willing to barter if there are any services you could offer them. You could also set up a health savings account to pay for the birth, which would be tax free. If you have insurance, you might be able to get them to pay a portion even if their policy says they don't cover it. Some midwifes use billing services which are really helpful to get insurance to pay as well. There are lots of options, you shouldn't have to put yourself through such financial hardships to get the birth you want!

Good luck!
Coral Jean

[CoopersMommy0308]

Ditto talking with the MW about your situation. Most are willing to take monthly payments. And some, in my area, are even willing to wait for payment until tax return/xmas bonus/etc.

We are paying out of pocket and making monthly payments. We won't have her paid off until after the birth and she is aware of that.

[sattygirl99]

we did use insurance but we still owe her $1800 (global fee of $3800). We're bartering everything but $500 (which we paid in cash as a deposit). My husband works Saturday's down on her farm in exchange for the balance.

A lot of midwives will find a way to work with you... You just have to be honest and upfront with them.

We would absolutely pay for it out of pocket if our insurance didn't cover it. It's worth it for us, but I'm a VBA2C with very limited options.

[babyjelly]

We are paying for our home birth out of pocket, making monthly payments.

My midwife states on her website, and in the initial interview appointment, that she is willing to do a hell of a lot of negotiating to make sure that every woman who wants to have a home birth with her can afford to. Most of the midwives in this area are the same. Definitely have a chat with yours.

[Ruthe]

I'm paying out of pocket for mine; the first $3000 I paid from selling stuff on ebay but the last $500 went on Mastercard because I'm a slacker this past month, oops. Oh well, I will just have to make a little more to pay that off (with interest.) We'll see how well that works with a new baby here, uhoh.

[DoomaYula]

I'm paying OOP. Luckily I'm getting a really good deal! I'm doing some care with an OB and my ins is covering that.

Most mw will take some kind of barter/payment system. I pay my chiro by bringing her homemade organic meals every time I have an adjustment. My hub pays by mowing the grass at her office. I have a friend who has been paying for her hb for over a year now. She babysits for her midwife weekly.

[ERue]

We have a ridiculous deductible, so I pretty much am paying out of pocket. I think insurance is covering $1800 of the $4800. Stupid. I came on to her practice late, so she's letting me pay over 9 months, even with it being way after the delivery. You just have to ask. It did take some searching for me to be able to find some one that would let me pay over time because most places wanted me to pay by the time I was 36 weeks, as in like 8 weeks from now, and that was not possible at all for us.

[kittywitty]

Yes, we are and it's really killing us financially, but will be worth it.

[rad]

We will be paying it out of pocket and hoping that the insurance will reimburse some of it. My midwife was nice enough to offer us a payment plan that will allow us to pay her off a couple month after the birth since we went back to her practice this pg late.

[WingonWing]

Yes, but I planned for this. I wouldn't have been able to if I had waited until I had only four months left to pay!

I think it's worth it--I'd do a lot before I'd go to a hospital for birth. I'm not a debt-type person, but this is a situation where I'd consider a personal loan.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by CoopersMommy0308

We are paying out of pocket and making monthly payments. We won't have her paid off until after the birth and she is aware of that.

Originally Posted by kittywitty

Yes, we are and it's really killing us financially, but will be worth it.

Our midwife allows payments up to 6 weeks postpartum. And she's open to bartering if we need to. We're actually just paying the birth fee, the pre/post-partum visits will be covered by my insurance.

[Jazzmin]

I am paying OOP too. My insurance was going to cover it, but DH was laid off and we lost our insurance Makes paying OOP a bit more difficult, but the MW is totally worth it.

My MW gives a substantial discount if she is paid in full by the 36th week, so I am going to be paying by that date even if I have to put the balance on my CC.

[Climbergirl]

I am pretty sure insurance will cover some of it (especially since they paid a LARGE amount of the IUD removal - at the in network rate, not out of network rate - and she is out of network!).

So, I pay a $1000 up front, she will bill the insurance company, and then we will work out the rest afterwards.

I heard my ins company paid someone's HB at 100% in my state, so my fingers are crossed that I will get the money back.

[lawmama1984]

We are, even though our insurance covers it. The only thing is, if I have to transfer at any time, they won't cover the fee and I will pretty much owe the balance right away (we would be responsible for 1/2 the birth regardless the way my MW does things, and then she bills insurance after the birth if all goes well). I would prefer not to have a huge financial burden on us in the event of a transfer, so we make $400 monthly payments May-November. We will have paid the full fee this way, and we are just filing receipts with insurance ourselves and expecting reimbursement from them.

[thebeljur]

We're paying out of pocket, and that $3,000 will be going on a low-interest credit card. I'm a SAHM and my husband is in a full-time nursing program that doesn't permit him time to work. (We're living off our savings and college grants until he graduates.) We don't EVER use credit, but we'll have to for this.

I would do almost anything to have my home births. If we had a hospital birth, it would cost us nothing with Medi-Cal. But I remind people that free doesn't mean a better deal.

[fruitfulmomma]

I've paid OOP for all five children. Sometimes I've paid late. Sometimes I've borrowed money. Totally worth it IMO.

[Virginia884]

We are paying $4k OOP and hoping and praying that insurance will reimburse us for some of it (but it probably won't). Our midwife mentioned some company that does zero-interest 12-month loans for medical bills. I can't remember the name.... care something or other?? Anyone else know? That would be a better option than a credit card!

[ARG2003]

We are making payments to our MWs for their fee ($3,000). Technically, they like it all to be paid by the 36th week visit. After the birth, they will submit the claim to our insurance who will pay 80% after our deductible (so we will get $2,000 of it back). It is hard to come up with that extra money at each visit, but so worth it. Our MWs will negotiate barters, though we have little to nothing to offer so we are giving money.