Why can I not find an OB? I need to vent.

[cyrusmama]

Why can I not find an OB? I need to vent.

For the first time in my life, I am on Medicaid. I am not proud to be on it, but I am not ashamed either. Dh and I have worked most of our adult lives. He is currently working. About 2 years ago, we had a major decision to make. If we wanted to make our marriage work, he was going to have to leave his well paying job (it kept him from home 24 hours a day some days and put a huge strain on us) and so he did. We moved and he began working with father in construction. So, flash forward 2 years, we live a lot more simply, a lot less pay, no insurance, and are expecting our 2nd little one. So yesterday, I went down and signed-up for state assistance. I thought everything was going to be fine, until today when I started trying to find an OB who would see me. And, none will take me as a patient because of the Medicaid.

I want to labor at the birth center that is about 30 minutes from here. I don't want to use the hospital that is 10 minutes. Its dirty. We have 2 sets of friends who have given birth there in the last year, both told of how their was still blood on the floors from the last person who labored in the room before them. I don't want that.

What is the point of having a state assistance program if no one will take it?

[LaffNowCryLater]

I'd drive the 30 minutes.

That's about how long it will take me to get to my birth center as well.

Do they not accept medicaid, or did you just not want to drive the 30 minutes?

[MamaVolpe]

:Hug I'm sorry! You might want to call the medicaid office to see if they have listings of OBs or Midwifes in your area. Sometimes even a GP will do deliveries. Good luck with your hunt for providers.

[adtake]

I would call Medicaid and ask for a case worker...you may be able to get what ever center or ob you want put on your program.

Good luck!!

[christinespurlock]

Hi,
I'm a chiropractor and I just wanted to explain why most doctors won't accept Medicaid. I really don't know if you care to hear why, but sometimes it helps to understand the whole system. So I work with my husband and we charge 50 dollars a visit. We stay pretty busy and sometimes have to turn people away. If I took medicaid, the state would pay us less than half that for those patients. If they deamed an adjustment unnessary (sp?) we'd not get anything for that adjustment. We'd also have extra paperwork for our Medicaid patients-to justify care. On top of that we'd be the only one's in our area accepting medicaid, so we'd have a bunch of those patients. This would cause us to have to turn away more full pay patients who don't require any extra paper work. (read-I really don't like paperwork)
Okay I just read what I wrote and I really hope I didn't come off cold. I don't know if that is the entire reason it is so unpopular among doctors, just my view on it. My advice would be to ask also if they have any sliding scale payment options. Really if we just had national health care everyone would be better off.

[Galatea]

Call the medicaid phone number and get a list of providers. Call all of them. If they give you the runaround, call the caseworker back. Call the birth center and see if they have sliding scale fees. My local birth center will go as low as $1500, depending on income. They also accept medical assistance. Call lay midwives. If you really want an OB (though I don't see why you would), your caseworker should be able to get an appt for you.