SarahG

Glad she's doing well. She sure is cute!

Elvira

I agree - fingers crossed for a healthy future for little Bobette.

But isn't it insane that, in the midst of all this worry about the baby, they have to worry about medical costs.

Preaching to the converted, I know, but it's just not right...

Sally Redux

Yes, the financial side is just horrendous, crazy.

The work my husband does gives him an insight into the shenanigans that go on with this set-up, corrupt is the only word for some of it.

Bob

Yes....it's going to be a close run race this, between which happens first, paying off the medical bills, the missus student loans or us retiring

Bob

So after much wrangling between the nurse agency and the insurance, that's one bill paid off in full.

It was the 10 min nurse visit to weigh the baby the day after she was discharged.

In the end, the agency charged us $260, finally insurance paid $155 of that and we just paid the rest off. Had we of known, after being told we wouldn't have to pay as much, we wouldn't have bothered with the visit, even though it was quite comforting, we probably would have just gone to the doctors at a pinch.

Oh and we have paid off one of the blood tests and for one of the doctors to read one of the scans. We have also paid off the rental for the breathing monitor and the cost of all the leads.

There is still a stack of bills in the less than $300 range, another stack in the $500 range, another in $600 and another in $700+....they're all about and inch thick

NatashaB

Just thought I would add another experience as our little man arrived nearly 3 weeks ago and the bills have started to hit normal delivery with epidural for me, baby was in Nicu for 4 days on oxygen and glucose to stabilise his oxygen sats and blood sugar. Total cost for me in labour and delivery and a 3 day stay - 12k. Total cost for baby's stay in nicu - 18k. Insurance should cover all but 1.5k of that thankfully.

Bob

Nice one and congrats!

Oh yeah, we're still enquiring why we're getting charged the full whack for our OB/GYN on the delivery of the baby, when she missed the whole thing and delivery was done by the staff nurse at the hospital

Apparently the problem stems from the office she works from, in which they charge you for the whole process without a break down, to include the office visits, doctors time for reading the results and all the check ups all the way out to the delivery and they have "no way" of amending the bills just because the doctor didn't show up. It's such a scam, shame as the OB is a really lovely doc, we followed her to that office when she moved...the other doctors office was much nicer to deal with though, meh, life eh

MsElui

yeah my OB/GYN had same sort of deal - a lump sum quote up front for all visits. I ended up stopping using them and swtching to midwife practice and they ended up billing my insurance for just what was used to that point - but i was probably 5-6 months through the pregnancy at that point.

penguinsix

Thanks for sharing. Were you aware the baby would need a stay in NICU before he arrived or was it a surprise? I ask because we often counsel people not to just show up cash and carry as things like an extended NICU stay are always a possibility.

NatashaB

No, it was unexpected, his oxygen sats and blood sugars were low so they whisked him straight off. The hospital did let me stay an extra day on a hotel sort of basis after I was discharged so I didn't have to leave without him - they didn't charge for that.

Bob

Just an update, as the little one will be 1 next week....she just had her 12 month check up.

Just under a half hour and without insurance it would have been $175 plus the cost of the 2 vaccinations and the second flu jab and also the lead finger test which now has to be done at 1 year old in MA.

I'd hate to total up the cost of all these regular check ups and how much the cost of the nutritionists visits would have been without insurance, we've not seen any bills for those visits.

Anyway, the little one is now 20 pounds and 29" talls....which is a pretty massive difference when a $5 bill was half as tall as her at birth

Rete

Thanks for the update, Bob, on the smallest Bobette. She has grown and seems to be in warp speed in trying to catch up with the bigger Bobette.

NatashaB

good to hear you're getting on OK. My little monster is 22lb and 26inches long at 5 months old! Still not seen the bill from my OBGYN for the prenatal visits and birth (unless it got rolled in with the one from the hospital).

Bob

That she is

Sally Redux

1 year old - where did that year go?

Good to hear everythings going well.