fatbrit

Sure.

NYCbound

Think that's slightly unfair to the NHS. Having had 3 babies on the NHS I have resigned myself to no more when we move because of the cost and care differences over there. Here we have a lot more postnatal care, which I really needed after my 3rd (let alone my 1st)

I ditto the homebirth option with a midwife present offered by nethead.

Practically speaking you can't time the birth! You would have to fly out weeks in advance due to the cut off date for flying, and then it could be weeks until you could fly back if you need emergency procedures. What about prenatal care? What about the baby's dad? Would he come too? Lots of other things to weigh up too, not just cost me thinks.

But regardless, congratulations and good luck whatever you decide.

Mummy in the foothills

I find those who say the NHS is dreadful have never used any other care, the US healthcare is pretty dreadful too depending on if you are insured/underinsured or uninsured. Then theres the picking a doc who actually takes your insurance and all the other palaver.

Giantaxe

It's more than slightly unfair given that both infant and under five mortality rates are lower in the UK than the US.

Indeed. It's hardly uncommon for newborns to need extended medical treatment.

Elvira

Concise summary of the US healthcare "system":

http://boards.fool.com/Message.asp?mid=27996265

Mummy in the foothills

12. Health care is an issue best handled by individual states; like
slavery.
16. Someone like physicist Stephen Hawking would have been allowed to die
under the British health care system. Oh, he’s British? And he's alive?
Never mind.

Sally Redux

Absolutely. And thinking that ever having paid taxes somehow entitles them to a lifetime of coverage. How does that work, then? If I miss one month's payment of US health insurance premiums that's it mate.

Dan725

I think I could do one even more concise.....probably just one word, in fact. But in the interests of our family readers, I won't!

Sharron_

Well here's my opinion.

To be a UK resident you have to be living within the UK. Now I believe if you go back to the UK and say you are a UK resident that may violate green card conditions here if you have already have one or if you are applying for a green card. (Maybe someone can clarify that).

But if you went back to the UK and say went into labor then obviously a UK hospital would not turn you away. But firstly depending on how early you return to the UK in your pregnancy...you may not be able to get the pre-natal care unless you are a resident there. Also you can only fly up until you are a certain amount of weeks pregnant and that in itself increases the risk of thrombosis. Then if you do leave here at 34+ weeks pregnant.....you also have to find somewhere to get check-ups in the last few weeks and if you claim to be a UK resident and they find out otherwise....which probably isn't difficult as they will be wondering where your pregnancy medical records are. You could find yourself receiving a bill.

Our first Health insurance Policy didn't have maternity cover, but when I got pregnant my husband did find one that would cover us for maternity....so it is possible (although we live in CA).

On another note "the dreaded NHS" as you put it, has it's faults and could probably be run alot better. But the healthcare here isn't perfect either.

I gave birth to both of my children in the UK (that was before I moved out here) and in my opinion the medical care was excellent.

Jerseygirl

I've just come across this...it seems to be a new addition to the Dept of Health website.


People Entitled to Full NHS Hospital Treatment free of charge

'Anyone working abroad for not more than 5 years as long as they have lived legally in the UK for ten continuous years at some point (including self employed people)'

This is the link:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/E...able/DH_074379

kins

It's only cheap if nothing goes wrong, speaking as someone whose homebirth was followed by massive PPH, blue lights to hospital, two lots of surgery, five units of blood and a night in hospital.

JAJ

Considering that having a baby born in Britain involves arriving 3 months before birth, and staying for 1-2 months after birth (to recover and get baby's documentation), that it should not be a problem for the original poster to say he or she has simply returned to the UK. Could always move away again once baby is born.

If she has a permanent visa for Australia plus a valid Medicare card, Australia is an option, on the same basis. There would be the cost of a 6 month stay in Australia, plus possibly the issues of becoming Australia tax resident, but the option is there. Plus, as a bonus, child would be an Australian citizen.

As someone else has mentioned, paying for services in Canada might actually be the cheapest option. As well as a Canadian passport for the child. Although bear in mind there is no guarantee of admission to Canada for anyone who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

If a green card hasn't been issued, Advance Parole will be needed to travel outside the US.

made of kent

As a nurse in the UK for 18 years... they never tried to collect money , I have been home, in the last six months and got health care for free, doctors and nurses in the UK are very anti fee collecting, 1 its complected and 2 its just not in our culture! i once looked after an American who was in ICU, his wife could not believe she had 3 nurse for him, we could not get over 2 of us, where trained nurses but training...and their insurance company never got charged??
but recently, I met a Canadian, who had her first child premee in the UK and her second in the US, she said she paid for a private room in the UK $350 for 2 weeks. her birth in the US with health insurance $3000! and she said the British birth was better as she had just a midwife, the American birth was a doctor, and he was in and out of the room, and not with her?

nethead

That's true, but I have a friend (in the US) who had her first baby in a hospital, went home then started losing lots of blood and had to be readmitted. Turns out she had a blood disorder. But there are no guarantees that everything will go without a hiccup wherever the birth takes place. I was just giving the OP another option to consider.

kins

Exactly - you can have complications wherever. Therefore you need to either be ready to pay potentially huge medical bills or you should have insurance. Or give birth in the UK, of course...