Just thought I'd share because I know that so many fellow home-birthers have insurance problems. It looks like United will pay for our homebirth at 100% :D We expected them to pay at 80% (our out of network rate) but had a tiny hope that they'd pay 100% as they don't have providers in network to do homebirth. After the latest round on the phone with them (my DH is an angel...) they have agreed to pay 100%! It just took a lot of talking and explaining- "the bill doesn't say where this took place" "my house" "but what facility?" "my house" "who delivered?" "the midwife on the bill (duh)" "but where did this take place?" "my living room floor..." lather, rinse, repeat :eyesroll After a nice lengthy discussion wherein the poor lady on the other end of the phone finally realized that babies can be born at home (on PURPOSE) she said "oh, okay, we'll be covering that at 100% then. You should have the check within 2 weeks"

:bouncy

SO, for those of you still working on insurance- take heart! It can work out.

I'd do it the same again even if I had to pay every cent, but I'm loving the fact that the insurance is doing what insurance is supposed to.

Again, for anyone who has a choice in insurance, this was United (PPO)

-Angela

Our insurance (Group Health Cooperative, an HMO) also covered 100% since they did not have in-service providers for our needs (homebirth, they woudn't have covered a birth center, though).

Ours would have covered a birth center without trouble- says right in the maternity coverage area that they cover birthing centers at a full rate- there are none in network in my area so they would have had to cover that. Homebirth was not mentioned anywhere though (hence the long, drawn-out discussion that such a thing exists) so I was really just after the 80%. Thrilled with 100% though!

-Angela

Congrats! That's awesome to have 100% covered.

Are homebirth midwives legal in your state? In GA, midwives must practice under an OB, which makes it a little more complicated. I guess I could just go the route of "you don't have OBs that do homebirths in-network". :D

Yes, in TX all midwives are free to practice as they choose. Both CNM and "documented" (I think that's the wording used in TX) are specifically legal.

-Angela