angelman

without going into details there are a few complications.. not super high risk but not totally trivial.
I think the fear I have is not of paying, I dont mind paying a bit of course, however its the fear that if you misfile something, screw up a bill or forget to check some smal print you can suddenly be liable for one reason or another.
Taking a recent example we suddenly became liable becuase they didnt pass on our insurance information, and missed their own deadline. At the end I am always liable for payments. The problem with pregnancy is that it can run in the 10's of thousands which is not the kind of money I just carry around in my back pocket and could severly screw us in the future.
there are many things in life where not paying attention an lead you into trouble, however with this medical stuff it can lead you into massive debt very very quickly it seems to me.

Partystar

In England, I saw my midwife every month, then every fortnight, then weekly, she never gave me an internal, thank God! I saw my obstetrician about 3 times & had Tyler by midwife delivery at the hospital. A wonderful experience!

I'm not sure what the average is here, but a few friends have told me it cost them between $1000-3000, with good insurance.

DollyLlama

With my own doctor and the the hospital for blood work etc., probably around 5 check ups. My friends daughter who recently had a baby in the UK just saw her Dr. once and then went to the midwife for the rest of her check ups.

Partystar

My GP set up my first appointment, as well as my first midwife appointment. Then my midwife requested my 2nd ultrasound & then, if memory serves, my obstetrician set up my last ultrasound because I was measuring big.

Partystar

Wow, that's strange. I wonder if it varies between trusts.

NC Penguin

How long have you lived in the US?


NC Penguin

Ben

This is why all expats moving to this country need to get the details of their insurance sorted before they actually need to use it. For example, read all the small print while you are healthy, find your nearest urgent care facility that takes your insurance and find what services they offer (more often than not they are cheaper than a hospital for things like checking for broken bones if you fell, or if you need stiches. And if you still need hospital treatment you bypass all the problems of having to wait and give details to a triage nurse), and call the numbers given to you by your insurance company every time you need to use your insurance unless you are in a life/death situation.

that means, everytime you have any type of medical issue you call your insurance company. Even if it is for a sprained wrist or pap smear. They record every conversation you have with them. And when you call you give them the facts of the reason why you need to see a doctor and make sure you don't make it sound unurgent if you feel a visit to the doctor is needed. If you do this for the first year or two of having your insurance you soon learn the ins and outs of what you are and aren't allowed/covered with your insurance. It also means that you are less likely to receive a bill for something that they said you are covered for because they have documented evidence (tape recording) of telling you that you are OK to go and seek treatment. And you have some comeback on any bill they do send you after they told you you were covered.

As far as the OP is concerned - if I were in your shoes I would get all the details possible from both your own insurance company and the one that is offered to your wife through work and find all the details out. Also, talk to the billing people at the doctors offices that you go to. Ask them about the two insurance companies and the different insurances offered to you. They may be able to give you some information that you hadn't thought of. Also, the insurance offered to your wife - see if she can up grade it. Say, for example, she is offered an HMO, find out if she can up it to a PPO. That way she may get to choose who her doctor is instead of having to go with what is offered. With the insurance being just for your wife, the difference may not be very much and could be well worth it for peace of mind.

DollyLlama

My kids are adults now (probably older than you! )
With my friend's daughter in the UK she went to a big new teaching hospital,
by the way the photo of you and your son that you use in your avatar is great. He has a lovely smile.

Ben

I think it does depend on where you live, how active your GP is in baby deliveries/maternity care, whether it is your first child or not, and whether you are high risk or not.

I rarely saw a doctor when I was pregnant with all three of mine. It was mainly midwife care, even during delivery. A doctor was only present if one was needed because of complications.

Give me midwife care anyday, though, because that is all they deal with and so are highly trained to spot problems or foresee complications.

Partystar

Not really, most of them have a disclaimer at the beginning of the phone call which says 'Benefit information provided by telephone is not a guarantee of benefits...', which basically means it makes no difference what they say, they make up their own rules!

Partystar

Awww thanx, yes he's very photogenic, he gets it from his Dad!

Jerseygirl

I definitely wouldn't trust word of mouth...recorded or otherwise.

Partystar

I tell my American friends that most deliveries in England are done by a midwife & a doctor isn't needed unless there is complications.

I absolutely agree with you, the midwife that delivered Tyler was brilliant, although she did slap me!

I have it on video if anyone would like to watch me giving birth! :scared:

cinnabar

I wonder if America didn't take to the concept of midwives because, historically, they were usually the village witch and there's a sort of religious taboo on such stuff here?

(I'll pass on the video, but thanks anyway, it was a kind offer )

Ben

Never noticed that before - I will have to listen out for that one next time. But I have to say, I have never had a problem. I have found that over the phone they restate what it says in the policy and when I question about an exact illness they confirm that it falls inside the written boundaries.

I wasn't saying to rely on just the phone call - that's why I said that all expats should read their insurance details while they are healthy. What I do find, though, is if you are unwell, for example, on a sunday and your primary carer is closed and you know that your insurance states that you can go to an emergency room/urgent care facility if you believe it is necessary, I would still call up to check. that way you are backing up what you already believe to be OK.