Total cost for whole pregnancy

diyaa,

It can be minimal cost depending on the type of insurance plan and your health condition. There is an HMO category of insurance plans where almost everything is covered. To my knowledge they do not have to pay a lot of money out of pocket. The reason why I don't like the HMO option is because I want freedom to choose my own doctor, change doctors etc without having to go through a central primary care provider and having to get a referral. It is just personal preference. Of course for that freedom and flexibility I pay a higher out of pocket price. Also I've heard that HMO may not work very well if you have high risk health conditions. Don't know too much about that. Companies generally offer a vriety of plans and you have to choose one at enrollment.

 

Thanks Pavarun. Luckily, here in canada, you can switch doctors/hospitals any number of times if you are not satisfied.

But my question is about the insurance provided by the corporates while working on onsite projects in US. As far as I know, for such insurance, employees dont even have to pay premium. Everything is born by the company. Is HMO one such insurance provided by corporates?

 

How can a couple work out the most suited bank balance figure that they should have to ensure financial security for their child in the first 1-2 years of its birth? What are the expenses that they should make provisions for?

 

If they pay minimal to no out of pocket, I would think they are on the HMO category. You'll have to ask them, I don't know for sure.

 

A lot of that depends - a child's only basic needs are food, and plenty of love. Many of the expenses are discretionary expenses. (Can you raise a child on exclusively breastfeeding, cloth diapers, and not have a full-fledged nursey with all the bells and whistles? Sure you can!)

In general, expenses during the 1st year are:
1. diapers & wipes - if you use disposables you need tons of them since babies go through 8-10 a day in first couple of months
2. Formula, if you are formula feeding
3. Baby equipment and gear. Technically you need only a car safety seat, stroller, and a crib and mattress. Rest everything is discretionary.
4. Clothes, since they outgrow quickly
5. Baby food - if you use store bought baby food jars

 

Thanks pavarun for your lucid explanation. Your reply was reassuring.

 

I missed the biggest cost - daycare expenses, if you are working full time. Actual amount varies depending on which area you are. Can easily be $175 - $250 per week!!!

 

Thanks pavarun!

 

This depends entirely on your insurance policy. If you have an HMO, you typically have nil to very small out of pocket costs. My cousin paid $20.00 for the entire pregnancy, including labor & delivery, and the first post-natal, 6 week, OB visit! She had an HMO plan in effect. She was also smart. As soon as they started planning a family, she visited a number of local OBGYNs (who can act as primary care physicians for women, depending on your plan), found one she liked and who had a low track record of cesarean sections and stuck to her like glue through out preconception and during pregnancy. She also visited various pediatricians within her medical group, found one she liked (with a good track record) and arranged to have this doctor visit her daughter in the hospital to perform the newborn health evaluation rather than a hospitalist. She learned from my experience (which I will write about later in this post).

For my pregnancy, I had a PPO. My total costs from start to finish for a vaginal delivery was $3500 including a $1000 deductible. The reason we had such a high cost was that our plan was an 80/20 cost sharing plan. Currently, we have an EPO which has a $100 deductible, after which most everything will be covered at 100%. In addition to your OB's & the hospital's bills, you may also receive bills from an anesthesiologist (if you choose to have an epidural), a radiologist (if you have to have an ultrasound to check your fetus' health status once you are in labor) and a pathologist (if you need to have your blood drawn and tested for any reason). In addition, most newborns will receive a visit from a neonatologist. In many states, babies will not discharged without a complete health check and a pediatrician will be arriving to perform this check. I advice you to make sure you pick a pediatrician prior to going into labor and having him or her perform the newborn health check. Don't permit just any pediatrician to come in to do this check. When my daughter was born, a hospital pediatrician arrived to perform this test. It turned out that this woman WAS NOT AN IN-NETWORK PROVIDER for our insurance company and we were stuck with an $800 bill for her 'services'. It took me SIX MONTHS of fighting the insurance company to get them to cover this bill at 50% despite the fact that I wasn't the one who had called her to examine my baby and really had no choice in the matter! So beware and be alert.

Call the 800 member services number for your insurance company and they will walk you through your plan and benefit information. Secondly, call the billing department or patient financial counseling department at the hospital where your OB generally delivers. Tell them that you would like an estimate of your total costs for labor & delivery and they will mail or fax you what I call a "guess-timate". "Guess-timates" are just that - a strong estimate. Depending on your particular situation, you may have higher or lower costs. For example, in my case, my daughter had jaundice at birth and had to stay in the hospital for an entire week after her birth until her bilirubin levels climbed down. All this cost us extra. So, be sure to ask about costs for newborn care, in case your baby needs to stay back for any reason.

Also, a word to the wise. Have a birthing plan and HAVE YOUR OB SIGN IT. Without a birthing plan, you basically give the hospital carte blanche to deal with you as they see fit once your labor gets under way. Your preferences may not be respected. For example, you may wish to avoid an epidural or you may wish to be in a darkened room with no more than one nurse in attendance. You may wish your husband to cut the umbilical cord and you may wish to see your baby's placenta. You may also not want to be catheterized after birth, etc etc etc. Basically, there are a host of things you may want to make your delivery as smooth and as happy an experience as you wish. So, rather than leave it up the L & D nurses to make the decisions for you, set out a birthing plan. I repeat - have it SIGNED BY YOUR OB. Without an OB's signature, your plan is just an expression of your wishes, which they MAY choose to disregard once you go into labor. With your OB's signature, it becomes the doctor's ORDERS and the nurses will not dare to cross the plan's demands then.

You can write up your own plan or download a template from many Internet sites, modify it to suit your preferences and then have your doctor sign it. Also, make sure to pre-register at the hospital where you will deliver by your 37th week. You are considered to be full term by Week 37 and pre-registering at the hospital will save you or your husband valuable time when you go into labor. Imagine having to fill out paperwork when your water has broken and your baby makes his or her intentions to appear any time VERY clear!! Also, have your baby's names picked out and ready to go when the birth recorder shows up at your room after delivery. You generally have 24 hours to finalize your name, so you can modify your chosen names to suit numerology or astrology (if this is what you want)!

Finally, don't worry too much about finances. Your life & health and your baby's life & health are more important. You can always negotiate payment plans with your hospital or OB if you get stuck with an exorbitant bill. The important thing is to do your home work ahead of time and being prepared for what will surely be the most joyful time of your life.

 

Malyatha

When I had my second child,I had no birthing plan.I did ask my OB/GYN about it,but he said it was not necessary.But I had no problems because of this.Throughout the delivery and even after(when it came to my care and the baby's)the hospital staff and nurses took my permission before going ahead with anything.I think each one's experience may be different when it comes to a birthing plan and maybe it differs from hospital to hospital too!

I too have a HMO plan but I am very surprised that your cousin paid only $20 for the entire pregnancy.Maybe there was some other clause too in her plan which saved her so much money.