Duncan Roberts

It's a hard position because you will need time off which you almost certainly wont get without negotiating with an employer.

Ozzidoc

I think that in my state (California) the max is six weeks. I know that as a training physician, we can only take three weeks mat leave without our training being affected. Anymore than three weeks' time off (max allowed is six weeks) then we have to stay in the job for extra time etc and it's a huge drama

There's also some kind of disability leave, which can kick in after mat leave in some situations eg C section. There's also some kind of family leave here. Unpaid.

Elvira

Insane...

The Horticulturalist

I still couldn't sit down properly after 3 weeks.....

Mallory

http://pregnancy.lovetoknow.com/wiki...aternity_Leave

Ozzidoc

Good link

I'm not sure which state the OP is going to....

ann m

The finances alone sound scary - how can anyone afford to have babies over there, without good insurance cover? I presume there are 'free' or nearly free places people can go .... sorry to hijack your thread .... very interesting.

sime303

Don't get me started on the medical system in this Country lol

Elvira

http://www.pregnancytoday.com/articl...pregnant-6093/

Kaffy Mintcake

Legally, you're absolutely right, though I've been personally involved in a case where someone was trying to do just that. I called him on it. Because it's difficult to prove that someone was discriminated against due to pregnancy, if I was the OP I think I'd keep that to myself for a little while if possible. Otherwise, the law is on her side, and hopefully my experience was rare.

ann m

Thanks for the link.

Like I said - scary !

Mummy in the foothills

Aren't they usually federally or state funded? You aren't entitled to state and fed resources when you are first here, or has that changed?

penguinsix

In many states there are exceptions to provide health care for pregnant women regardless of their immigration status.

This is a thread we had on the subject a month or two ago

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=633324

penguinsix

For what it's worth, we had a non-complicated natural birth about a year ago. We had a private recovery room and an epidural (the only two 'options' I would say' as part of the process). The total bill came to:

$16,600.

Of that, we had to pay about $400 for the private room and a copay of $25 when entering the hospital. The insurance company paid $10,000 to the hospital and told them to get stuffed for the remainder (insurance companies have legions of lawyers who love nothing better than to tie up hospitals in knots such that they rarely ever sue to recover this difference). If you are going 'pay as you go' however, you don't have this legal muscle to say "I'm only going to pay 10k instead of 16k"

Now, before you go setting aside $16,000 or so, please note that for some people who have had complications, from a c-section upto a premie or an NICU (Neonatal intensive-care unit) they can easily run up a bill of $250,000 in a month. Yea, a quarter of a million dollars in a few weeks.

Needless to say, get some form of insurance from your husband's company and go over the fine print on OB/GYN benefits.

Duncan Roberts

It's not so much legal muscle as it is volume. An insurance company negotiates cheaper pay rates largely based on the number of subscribers they have. A hospital wants volume business so a large pool will generate a lower pay rate. If an insurance company pretty much guarantees that they can give the hospital x thousand people through their doors per month then they get a good rate because what the hospital loses per procedure it makes up in volume, repeat business and high profit/complexity procedures. If you turn up and say you'll see me a few times for a pregnancy and I want a good deal on the price you will likely get laughed at. Some are nice and will help cash patients, some will not.