Homesick English Girl

Hi folks, I was just wondering if anyone knew whether I would be able to claim financial help if I were to give birth over here?
I am a legal US resident, but not a citizen yet, and hubby and I are desperate for a baby... but there's no way on this earth we could afford the $7,500 cost of prenatal care and birth. Am I entitled to Medicaid or Medicare, or is there anything else I am entitled to regarding having a baby?
Hubby is on pretty low wages ($9 p/h 45 hrs per week) and I don't work yet.
Thank you in advance.

MsElui

look into midwife services. they are often cheaper than doctors and mine allow barter to help pay the fees and will allow payment plans etc - a LOT more flexible than a normal OB/GYN would be. If you can give birth at home too - it could cut out the hospital fees etc. NB - not everyone is a suitable candidate for home birth and you should consult the midwives/docs before planning one.

SecretGarden

I'm assuming your husband's job doesn't provide health insurance coverage for you. Not many people I know would have $7500 sitting around to pay for pre-natal and delivery services.

I understand your desperation for a child (believe me, I do--many years of miscarriage and infertility treatments), but I guess I would ask you to think about whether you might want to wait a bit, so that you have more financial resources available to support a child. Most people seriously underestimate the cost of children, even if you stick to the basics.

I know that wasn't what your question was, but I think it's a valid question that the two of you might want to consider before bringing a new (and completely dependent) life into the world.

Respectfully,

~SecretGarden

Rete

To answer your question, no you are not entitled to Medicaid for Medicare. The baby will be eligible after birth as a USC and if your husband does not have a health plan.

penguinsix

First things first:

Medi-caid--poor people.
Medi-care--old people (i.e. not having babies)

Second, $7500 if things go well....if not, something more along the lines of $250,000 is not unheard of, not even uncommon. Even a minor complication or a few extra nights in the hospital could spiral $7,500 into $25,000 in the blink of an eye. And that's not counting the costs for the doctor visits after the baby is born. I think the three or four visits we had in the first two weeks (some mild jaundice, which is common) cost the insurance company about $2,000 with all the tests and whatnot. We paid $20 copay per visit (which still adds up over the course of the first year, with monthly visits very common).

I'm afraid I'd second the advice of others who suggest looking at the total financial picture before having a baby. It can be very expensive over here.

Some states provide a bar minimum of medical care through their medi-caid, you'll need to check with the states on availability. In California I do think medi-caid is available to immigrants (legal and illegal) for pregnancy related matters, but in other states you get nothing.

I'm not trying to rub it in but our first child cost, out of pocket, $25 copay for the first OB visit, $25 for the copay to the hospital and $5 because we opted to have the TV on during our first night in the hospital. That was it.

If there is anything you can do to get a job that offers insurance, even if it is just working as a secretary somewhere, that might a wise investment over the next year or two.

Good luck.

P.S. Go here http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/Help/Hea...men/index.html

Mummy in the foothills

Without healthcare or eligibility for Medicaid. DON'T DO IT!!.
I was a very healthy young pregnant Mom and had health care, and midwife access I still ended up with two unexpected C-sections. Breech not discovered till I was ready to deliver. I'd still be paying it all off if I hadn't had any insurance, it's risky. Maybe you could go back to UK once pregnant and deliver at home. or wait.

christmasoompa

Ditto what SecretGarden very wisely said - I have no idea of your circumstances or if it's possible for you to wait a while before trying to conceive, but you really need to be in as strong a position financially as possible before having a baby. They cost a small fortune!

We have two and have done everything as cheaply as possible (not sure if these things will mean anything to you as I'm in the UK but I always buy their clothes at places like Tesco's rather than Gapkids, cook all their food myself, buy value diapers, don't do expensive days out etc). I know you can't compare the UK to the US but just to give you an idea, we had £10,000 worth of savings before having children 4 years ago - all that money is now gone.

My husband has a very well paid job and I am very lucky as I do not have to work so can be at home with them, but because of that choice we are constantly struggling and dread the end of each month despite him bringing home much more than the average person. This is despite having no finance on our cars, loans or anything like that - it's just day to day living. My grocery bill is between £400 and £500 each month! I did look at going back to work earlier this year but after paying travel, tax and childcare costs (£80 per day for both of them here!) I wouldn't have earnt any money at all.

If you have no savings and you cannot work then I really think you would struggle - if you can wait then it would put you in a much better position. Maybe when you're working you could put all your wages into a 'baby savings' pot for a year before trying? Especially as (from what I understand) the US is appalling for maternity benefits whereas in the UK you get 9 months paid maternity leave.

I wish you the best of luck.

Tracym

But the baby wouldn't automatically be eligible for medicaid I do not believe - only if the parents income was very very low. Unless I'm missing something.

Some states do have some form of insurance for children, but I doubt it is generally free.

penguinsix

I think it is called SCHIP

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/schip.asp

Rete

And at $9 an hour, it is almost assured that they financially qualify for medicaid for the child.

Yes, most states have some type of healthcare available for low income people without healthcare and you do pay a premium. In NYS that is only available, I believe, to actual permanent residents.

Tracym

Too early for me apparently, I missed the $9

I think that's still above the poverty level though - are you sure the child would get medicaid? (I don't know, just wondering)

As others said, wow, pretty scary having a child on that kind of income.

Duncan Roberts

$7,500 is a bargain of all bargains for everything from start to finish!

lisa67

I also remember reading from your other post how homesick you are ...being stuck in the house with a young baby(I don't think you drive right now do you?) raging post natal hormones without the support of your family who are living thousands of miles away isn't going to help.....just my opinion.

Homesick English Girl

Well, I appreciate all of your answers, they're most informative, but I do have to ask one thing... I'm totally ignorant to wages and such over here but I didn't think $9 per hour was all that bad - without meaning to sound racist or anything, there's an awful lot of Mexican families earning around that amount, and they have streams of kids following them around, so THEY manage!
What would you guys consider a "normal" hourly wage?
Also, do you know of anywhere that you can work part-time and still get health insurance?

Rete

Not at the point of the day to do a search but there was a family in the marriage-based group that had a child without hospitalization. The child qualified for medicaid at birth. Hospital gave them the paperwork. In fact, my daughter and son-in-law were offered the paperwork by the hospital when she gave birth to her first son without hospitalization.

40 hrs @ $9 = $360 a week before taxes and ss w/h
$360 @ 52 = $18,720 annually before taxes