Northern Cali Moms, can you reccomend your Homebirth Midwife??

[luvmybabygirls]

I have a friend in Northern Cal who lives near both Kaiser hospitals but is really wanting some info on homebirth Midwives in there area. I am wondering if all you lovely Mothering Moms can help me out. I do not live in Cali.  Thanks!

[cristeen]

We would need more info than "Northern CA" - it's a big place.  It's a 4 hour+ drive from side to side, and more than that from central to the OR border.  Which Kaiser hospitals is she near?  There are lots of them. 

[NishaG]

Have her check out www.californiamidwives.org . Especially since I'm not sure which part of Northern Cali you mean.

[luvmybabygirls]

Thank you Mama's I found out she is in the Fair Oaks area! She is having a hard time, her insurance does not cover home birth and the two she has spoken to want $4500. Does anyone know a good midwife who has sliding scale or is much cheaper? That would be helpful! Thanks again!

[cameragirl]

If she's open to a center, the Birth Center is a pretty well-respected place. They have redone their website, but I think they run a little less than home birth midwives charge in this area. They also accept payments. They're a little more strict than the home birth midwives, though. I was bummed to find out that I couldn't go there because of a VBAC. Everyone I know that has delivered there has loved, it, though. They're also right across the street from Mercy San Juan in case of an emergency transfer. (Or within 10 minutes by ambulance to Kaiser Roseville.)

[NishaG]

Not sure, that seems to be the going rate in the Sacramento area. My midwives are with Birthstream Midwifery in Davis. Most midwives do have payment plans.

Otherwise, I would suggest Sutter Davis Hospital, which allows midwives to deliver and waterbirths.

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[cristeen]

That's pretty much the going rate around here.  Some will go as low as $4K, but I haven't talked to any that are lower than that.  As for her insurance, unless she has an HMO or military coverage, her insurance has to cover it at least in part.  It may be that in the end she doesn't get anything (like I have a high deductible, plus the MW is out-of-network, so in the end I might get a couple hundred dollars reimbursed), but they're not allowed to "not cover" it, far as I know (with those two exceptions - the law changed a few years ago to require MW coverage).  But even if she gets her insurance to chip in, she has to pay the MW up front and then bill the insurance company and hope for reimbursement. 

Most MWs expect to do a payment plan though - I haven't met any that expect payment up front.  So unless she's already pretty far along, she can pay them on a payment plan.  And she may be able to find one that is willing to stretch the payments even past birth - some do for people who can't afford it otherwise.  But she has to be willing to ask. 

[katiedidder]

Would she qualify for Medical?  If so, New Earth Midwifery does accept Medical mamas. 

If she only has Kasier, it's going to be tough, as they absolutely don't cover home or birth center births.  Around $4000 is the going rate in the area, and most of the midwives are pretty consistent about keeping with that rate (and for good reason--it's tough to do enough births to take care of your own family, pay insurance, buy supplies, etc if you do too many reduce rate births).  More reduced rate births means you have to do more births total, which means less attention to each family.  It's a huge bummer, but the reality until insurance companies get with the picture!

I do agree that most midwives will do a payment plan (and some offer a slightly reduced rate if you can pay up front). 

If she isn't able to swing it, Kaiser South and Kasier Roseville have CNM's on staff.  They have really limited hours in the hospital last I checked, but she could at least do her prenatal appointments with them.