I never realized how Health Care reform is such a much needed thing until I was screwed over by it. But let me start from the beginning, if you know anything about me you know I am probably one of the worst accident prone people you have ever met. Trying to list every injury I have had is near impossible and looking at all the scars all over my body would tell you the same story. I have been on crutches more times than I can count from breaking my ankle, cutting my foot open, breaking toes, ACL surgery and spraining my ankle so badly so many times. You will also know that I get in the weirdest situations, breaking out in horrible hives all over my body, having to get a tonsillectomy, breaking fingers, having this random disorder called Vocal Chord Dysfunction that makes it hard for me to breathe when running or smoke in the air. Yeah if you haven't gotten the picture I'm kinda a mess.
Health care has always done me good and I have obviously heavily relied on it. I was thrilled when I could stay on my parents insurance longer because it was 1000 times better than getting on my colleges health plan especially when my husband and I decided to do online school. My husband got enrolled in health care through his work but we had me on my parents because we thought the coverage would be better.
November 2014 I found out the best news that I was 6 weeks pregnant! It was very unexpected and stressful but I had health insurance I had nothing to worry about. First of all ever thinking that you have nothing to worry about is the first mistake you can make. More often than not, at least in my life, something will always go wrong.
Week 7 something went wrong, I had the WORST morning sickness. Calling it "morning" sickness is also the worst understatement in my case. I had all day, all night sickness. I couldn't keep food down and I couldn't keep water down. I hadn't gone to see a doctor yet but I had an appointment with a midwife through a hospital the next week. I called her and she told me to go to the ER so I could get IVs and such. Going to the ER was the best choice I could have made, I hadn't drank or eaten anything in days and I felt so much better after I left. I even got to see my baby on ultrasound which made everything so much better.
At 9 weeks I had an ultrasound to see my baby again and it was awesome.
The Holidays came and went and I was still having morning sickness but it was better controlled by a wonderful pill called Zofran.
Literally the day after I entered into my second trimester I got the worst letter in the mail saying I was declined from every doctor visit, ultrasound or hospital visit I have had so far. I have to pay the entire thing which amounts to more than $5,000!!!!! This might not seem like a big deal but being only a 1/3 of the way done was not a good thing.
The reason you ask?
My parents insurance company isn't liable to cover me for any prenatal or maternity coverage. They only have to do this for the spouse of the policy holder. Now because of the ER bill and doctor visits we owe so much. How can having a child be this stressful already!?
We tried to get me added to Luke's insurance but they can't add if it's not an open enrollment period or if there hasn't been a life changing event. They can however add me if I get dropped from my parents insurance. Problem solved! Nope! My parents company refuses to drop me unless there is a letter saying I have insurance with someone else. It's the chicken and the egg all over again.
Try applying for Medicaid you say? I did. I don't qualify and they won't let me have it since I have insurance.
Try government assistance? I can't. Again I don't qualify.
Try to get secondary insurance? I'm working on it but I can't qualify for so much and it's very frustrating!
I'm hoping that low costs clinics will be my answer for prenatal care but I am clueless of what will happen when I actually go into labor. We can't afford it!
Working with the insurance companies seems nearly impossible and every time I try to explain that my ER bill was a complication due to pregnancy they still deny me.
I decided since I can't get insurance I was going to have to be a cash patient. What the doctors and the hospital quoted me made my jaw hit the floor. EVERY TIME I GO IN FOR A PRENATAL CHECK UP IT COSTS $2000!!!!!!!! That is until I hit the $10,000 mark! Then the hospital and delivery fees are estimated to be $17,000 IF everything goes NORMAL forget if I have any complications.
If I was just some lazy person who wasn't married and didn't have a source of income and had no insurance I could be helped. But because I'm none of those things I'm screwed.
A really insightful article to read is
Parents’ insurance covers children up to age 26 — but not for pregnancy
Right now I am actively looking for a job so I can help support my family. I'm willing to work my hardest and if anyone hears of any openings please let me know! I really would like to afford having a baby in a hospital instead of at home. ;) Your prayers would be really appreciated at this time.
I didn't write this blog to totally whine. I mostly did it because I know there has to be other people who might be in my same boat or have gone through the same. The more information out there the better and making sure people double check if they are covered before having a baby is important.
