KNOXVILLE - no insurance, help!!!

[Dixielane]

Hi,
I am desperately needing advice from fellow TN moms! We just moved here from TX, my husband lost his insurance due to job switching - we cannot get on COBRA now (deadline passed), I applied for CoverKids for myself (pregnant) and my toddler, but it was DECLINED because of the fact we had insurance less than 3 months ago.

I am almost 20 weeks pregnant, high risk, and dont know what to do!

I applied for TennCare, but on the pre-qualification screening it said I might make too much to quality. I am a stay at home mom, and my husband makes about as much as you CAN make in eastern TN --- which certainly isn't rich enough to do SELF pay! I really, really need some sort of help with insurance. No answer yet on TennCare.

Does anyone know what I can do? It seems any doctor I call says they require "X" amount upfront, and I cannot just hand over 2-3,000k upfront. We could easily do a self pay payment plan, but I dont know anyone who will take it!

I am considering calling Lisa Ross Midwife birth center in Knoxville monday, does anyone know if they accept payments? And since I am high risk I dont know who will take me! I am not high risk in the normal sense -- I just have low blood platelets so during labor I cannot have an epidural or use a vaccume. Simple. But not so much with finding a doctor who doesnt shy away from the word high risk.

HELP!? Any ideas???

[wyovol]

You may have already called LRBC...but I used them for my last pregnancy and they did accept payment plans.  I had insurance so I was paying on the amount the insurance would not cover.  The payments were spread out over 5 months (I think).

As far as high risk, I don't think they take "high risk" patients.  But your situation may not be considered high risk for their practice.  I think it is definitely worth talking to the midwives about, though.

The OB practice I used for baby #2 also took payments.  It is Contemporary Women's Health, near Parkwest Hospital.  Again, I had insurance and paid the remaining amount over about 4 or 5 months.  I was pretty happy with the care I received from the practice and if I wanted to use an OB, I would go back.

Not sure about the CoverKids or TennCare issue, though.  I know that guidelines have been changed over the past few years.