How much is your birth?

[baileybaileybne]

Similar in Australia. If you go to a public hospital it's all free but you can't choose your OB and you share a room. Appointments are all at the hospital too.
I'm going through a private hospital which is covered by my health insurance except for an excess of $250. My appointments are through a private OB and are partially subsidized through Medicare.
I was a bit shocked when I realized that private health insurance here only covers you for pregnancy related things when you're admitted as a patient in hospital so any out patient appointments aren't covered. It makes sense, but considering how much the insurance is, it kind of sucks. But I'm still very comfortable with my decision to use my chosen OB practice and hospital. If I didn't have insurance the hospital would be $5,000+ just for a simple birth without c section or any complications.
My hospital is super busy: they posted on Facebook that they had 957 births there in March alone: a record. Considering there are several other private plus some public hospitals in the city I live in I was shocked at that.

[belle0720]

Prenatal and Postnatal care are completed covered by my medical benefits.

Delivery and inpatient services are $250 per hospital admission. So I should only have to pay $250 assuming I don't make any unplanned trips to the ER or anything.

[ladysif]

With DS1, we didn't pay a penny, our insurance was awesome. We reviewed the statements afterward and it was over $25,000 (we did have a NICU team in the delivery room so that upped it, but no actual NICU time). Vaginal delivery.

Insurance has since changed and between our OOP and deductible, we'll have to pay $4500 this time, guaranteed. Sucks. Honestly we might have made different choices and gotten pregnant earlier if we'd known DH's company was going to make such a drastic change this year but so be it. (And yes, we have looked at every other option for coverage, this still ends up being cheapest.) We still have to figure out what other major health stuff we need this year and get them booked - since we'll have met the full burden on our end why not, right?!

[Bluedaisy]

We have public health care and the only thing not covered in labor and delivery is circumcision because it is considered elective. I believe it's going to be about $100.

[laurenlou83]

All of my prenatal care and appointments (ultrasounds, glucose test, first tri screenings, everything) is covered 100% by my insurance.
I have a $2000 deductible, which sucks, so I am anticipating having to pay at least that depending on csection, meds, etc during L&D. Everything after deductible *should* be covered 100%.
I work in medical billing, so I've seen how astronomic some bills can be, so I'm just thankful we have any coverage at all.

[omgtree]

Depends on when I have her. If I have before my birthday I'm dough me covered and don't pay anything out of pocket. If after my birthday I'm not sure it depends on how close I am to the deductable.

[mrskblack11]

I have a $1500 deductible. OB fee for the delivery is about $3,700 for a vaginal birth - so I only had to pay $1500 of that, which is paid off already. They make you pay for the OB fee upfront, which makes no sense to me but WHATEVER, it is paid ( I paid in monthly installments).

Not sure what the hospital bill will be. I think we just have to pay a copay since I have hit our deductible for the year.

[tiffbot]

I'm in Canada, prenatal appointments and hospital stays (including NICU) are all free covered under our public health care (any dr appointment is free, I've never seen a doctor or hospital bill in my entire life). You have the option to pay like, $100 a night or something for a private post partum room in my hospital, which I believe is covered by H's health insurance. We didn't get that option last time as the hospital was overfull.

[Deleted]

Great question! I know they explained it to us in the beginning but we were too excited/nervous to pay attention. I know we paid $600 or so that covered all of our OB appointments/sonograms etc, and I think our hospital stay will be $2,000 or so... But will be asking DH where that paperwork is when we get home.

[bendherova]

For all of my prenatal care plus a vaginal delivery, the OBs charge 3,700. This does not include the facilities, medications or nurses or any care for the newborn.
It also does not include prenatal ultrasounds or blood work.

Our insurance company's reimbursement amt is $2,700, of which we owe $270. There will be more $$ owed, but they can't give us an estimate bc they don't know what will happen. We'll pay 10% of those charges up to our OOP which is 1750. As soon as DS2 makes an appearance, we pay the first $350 of all charges and then 10% after that until we reach the family OOP max which I think is 3500.


By comparison, all of my prenatal care and delivery with DS1 and all of DS1's care in the hospital was 0 OOP.
I think the amt billed for induction and 72h total in the hospital was close to 25k

[nettje]

I'm up in Canada and in my city, if we want a private or theme room we have to pay out of pocket. We'll also have to pay out of pocket for a circumcision if LO is a boy (and if that's our final decision). i believe we can use our health spending account to pay for the private room and even for the circumcision but I have to double check. There was also an extra vaccine that I got for DD when we lived further north and that was recommended by our pediatrician. I'm going to ask for it again for this little one. Last time we paid out of pocket for it and this time it should be covered by our health spending.

[Bluedaisy]

Apr 14, 2015 18:27:23 GMT -5 nettje said:

I'm up in Canada and in my city, if we want a private or theme room we have to pay out of pocket. We'll also have to pay out of pocket for a circumcision if LO is a boy (and if that's our final decision). i believe we can use our health spending account to pay for the private room and even for the circumcision but I have to double check. There was also an extra vaccine that I got for DD when we lived further north and that was recommended by our pediatrician. I'm going to ask for it again for this little one. Last time we paid out of pocket for it and this time it should be covered by our health spending.

I'm glad you mentioned health spending...I didn't even think of that for the circumcision...I'll have to look into that.  I'm still wishing breast pumps were allowed for health spending but as far as I can tell it's inelligible.

[Bluedaisy]

Also nettje, theme room? Like at West Edmonton mall? I've never heard of this.

[bendherova]

double post.

[mathistm]

Once we hit our deductible (which is $3000 and DHs employer gives him $1500 in a health savings account) we are covered in full. Since our deductible is considered high we had to pay $1500 up front for delivery charges. We will def meet our deductible this year so the most we will pay for all of our healthcare out of pocket is $1500.

[tatersalad]

With DS we didn't have maternity coverage on our plan, and it cost less than $7k for all of my cash pay prenatal work, ultrasounds, and vaginal delivery with epidural by pre-paying at the hospital. If they had been billing insurance I'm sure the total would have been at least double that. Will be interesting to see what we end up paying since all insurance here now has to cover pregnancy.

[nettje]

Apr 14, 2015 18:34:58 GMT -5 Bluedaisy said:

Also nettje, theme room? Like at West Edmonton mall? I've never heard of this.

I have to check ours for sure when it comes to circumcision... I do remember that it wouldn't cover the breast pump which is a huge shame.

I'm not entirely sure what is all included in a theme room... I do know it comes with a bigger bed that is not your standard hospital bed and I've heard that they have nursery themes and are larger. We won't get one as it's not worth it but I do believe we automatically get upgraded to a private room because I'm having a c-section.

[tiffbot]

Bluedaisy, nettje Saskatoon's mat ward has one or two 'Victorian' rooms, it's basically a real, large bed, decorated really nice, bassinet I believe, full bathroom and actual room for visitors. I have never actually been in this fairytale room, I think it's $150 a night and really hard to get into because someone always has it.

[silv3rlining]

I think in paid something like $25-50 when I had DS. I suspect it will be similar this time. Same insurance, same OB, same hospital. But I know other costs have gone up lately for me so I won't be shocked if I have more to pay this time.

[nettje]

Apr 14, 2015 20:04:42 GMT -5 tiffbot said:

Bluedaisy, nettje Saskatoon's mat ward has one or two 'Victorian' rooms, it's basically a real, large bed, decorated really nice, bassinet I believe, full bathroom and actual room for visitors. I have never actually been in this fairytale room, I think it's $150 a night and really hard to get into because someone always has it.

I was able to find the description online and that's essentially what it is at my hospital. Really well decorated room with a queen bed, luxury pillows and sheets, free tv and internet (well, comes with the cost) and just more space in general.

[ladymouse]

My cap out of pocket is $3K. Before insurance, DS's birth was about $27,000 (c-section).

[Bluedaisy]

Apr 14, 2015 19:21:04 GMT -5 nettje said:

Apr 14, 2015 18:34:58 GMT -5 Bluedaisy said:

Also nettje, theme room? Like at West Edmonton mall? I've never heard of this.

I have to check ours for sure when it comes to circumcision... I do remember that it wouldn't cover the breast pump which is a huge shame.

I'm not entirely sure what is all included in a theme room... I do know it comes with a bigger bed that is not your standard hospital bed and I've heard that they have nursery themes and are larger. We won't get one as it's not worth it but I do believe we automatically get upgraded to a private room because I'm having a c-section.

That's wild, I've never heard of theme rooms in Canada.  I'm not even sure we can get private rooms here...lol I was telling the girls at work that I'm worried I'll go into labor early because even though we only have one hospital I have no idea where to go or who to talk to once I get there.  Thank goodness prenatal classes start next week.

[ThePalindromicOne]

My annual out of pocket max for covered services is $2000. I maxed out my flex-spending at $2500 this year in anticipation of meeting my OOP with maternity services

[billyhorrible]

Everything is covered by my insurance (including any and all prenatal classes) except co-pay. So for the prenatal visits and hospital delivery our total costs will be: $295.

[wegrowsheep]

I asked for a quote from our hospital, since we are self-pay as part of a health share program. They said about $9860. *gulp*

[roo54]

My max OOP is $1,500. Birth and my hospital stay will cost me $250 plus 10% of the max. allowable benefit, while LO's hospital stay will cost 10% of the max. allowable benefit for her as well.

I think the total bill was somewhere around $8-9k with DD1.

[turtletyme]

The example in my benefits booklet showed out of pocket costs at less than $200. I haven't paid anything yet, so I assume that's a hospital admit fee or something. L&D services are supposed to be fully covered but I don't know yet if that covers the anesthesiologist. I should check, so thanks for bringing this up. I remember from my knee surgery that a lot of times they are out of network, because there's only one available or on call, and thus expensive as shit!

[megd893]

Apr 14, 2015 18:34:03 GMT -5 Bluedaisy said:

Apr 14, 2015 18:27:23 GMT -5 nettje said:

I'm up in Canada and in my city, if we want a private or theme room we have to pay out of pocket. We'll also have to pay out of pocket for a circumcision if LO is a boy (and if that's our final decision). i believe we can use our health spending account to pay for the private room and even for the circumcision but I have to double check. There was also an extra vaccine that I got for DD when we lived further north and that was recommended by our pediatrician. I'm going to ask for it again for this little one. Last time we paid out of pocket for it and this time it should be covered by our health spending.

I'm glad you mentioned health spending...I didn't even think of that for the circumcision...I'll have to look into that.  I'm still wishing breast pumps were allowed for health spending but as far as I can tell it's inelligible.

I looked into the insurance coverage for pumps here in Ontario, and I have zero possibility of coverage for a pump unfortunately (and my wife works for a benefits company, so our benefits are great).  We spoke to a lactation consultant and were told to rent from the hospital until we find out if BF'ing is going to work for us.  This way you're getting a medical grade, sterilized pump that is much cheaper than the $400 ones.  When and if you know you're in it for the long haul, then make the investment.  
I'm definitely looking into our HCSA for the boys circumcision now.  Thanks for this!

[dmoney]

I have a deductible of $1500, plus a "delivery fee" of 250 (the 250 has been paid) and as of today I still have $430 till I hit the deductible.. However I had an Ultrasound this week and I will have another one when I hit 26 weeks so that should cover it. Then all I should have to pay in the hospital is for TV and phone service (Because insurance wont pay for that, but it is $24). So in theory I shouldn't have to pay anything for delivery since I have already spent my $1500.

[baytosa2013]

I just had a long conversation with my insurance on Monday about totals. We have a $500 PP deductible ($1000 family) which is pretty low by most standards (we knew we'd be trying so we elected the better plan for this year)and we pay 20% after that is met until we hit the OOP Max of $2500PP. The gal I talked to said to basically expect to hit the $2500 for me. I'm ok with that considering if we have a c section or need additional medical assistance for me that's all covered. If the baby needs assistance like NICU it's another $2500.

My OB bills global so I have a contract for $824 but that includes my deductible. That doesn't include my sonograms or any lab work though. I have bills from that that I paid that went towards the deductible so the Dr's office needs to adjust my contract down. I don't know exactly what the Dr's charge is (I need to ask) but I found out with their contract they can basically bill whatever and my insurance will only pay them 50% period.

The Hospital is separate and they sent me a contract for another $800 because it includes the deductible. That lady told me I basically have to pay both the Dr and the hospital and whoever bills first gets to keep my deductible portion and the other one will have to refund me my overpayment. I know this is not going to likely go well and I'll be chasing money down...sigh. Epidural is a whole separate bill as well.

I've worked with some medical billing before so I know a lot of the right questions to ask but I feel so bad for the people that have no clue with insurances and how it all works. I can't imagine how confusing it all must be.