Labor & Delivery & Insurance

[Betsy82]

One thing I haven't seen addressed is the "Global Maternity Fee". This is generally the charges an OBGYN charges the patient for all of the appointments leading up to delivery as well as a normal ******l delivery. Ours charged an extra $500 for a C-Section, which I had.

Mine charged at the very end of my pregnancy. Some as I understand charge as the pregnancy progresses.

I've never heard of this.

My OB charged a flat $4,000 fee for everything. I had csections. So maybe her fee for a ******l delivery was less.

The $4,000 was billed after delivery.

I did have a high risk pregnancy with my second and was not charged more for additional appointments (2x per week) but was charged if I had an NST or other sort of additional testing.

 

[malibuconlee]

I've never heard of this.

My OB charged a flat $4,000 fee for everything. I had csections. So maybe her fee for a ******l delivery was less.

The $4,000 was billed after delivery.

I did have a high risk pregnancy with my second and was not charged more for additional appointments (2x per week) but was charged if I had an NST or other sort of additional testing.

That would be considered your Global Maternity Fee. The set fee for your prenatal OB care and delivery by your OB/GYN.

 

[savannie]

My sister had to pay a separate copay ($350) for my niece as soon as she was born. They called and argued about it, but the insurance company insisted she was a separate patient as soon as she was born.

Also, be careful about having a separate insurance plan for you and your husband. In my state (Alabama) it is common practice to not allow a couple to merge together under one family plan if they have been on separate plans before having children. For example, if my husband and I are on separate plans and I have a baby then we are not allowed to move all of us over to my husband's plan to save money. We must keep him on one plan, me on another, and the baby on one of the two plans. In that case we'd be paying for a family plan and a single plan each month. I know it sounds crazy, but it's been in huge letters on each form I've filled out at different jobs. My husband's work won't let you sign up for insurance at all if you don't get it when it's first offered to you. Most companies have a yearly enrollment period, but his office is very strict. One guy has worked there for 30 years and can't get on the insurance because he didn't sign up after his initial 90 days.

You really should call the insurance companies and discuss this very thoroughly with them, though. Everyone's insurance is different. It's great to do all this now, though, so there are no surprises later.