29-5-2009 - My insurance SUCKS !!!

My mood while writing this blog: Ok

How come my insurance sucks ass? Apparently I have a $2,000 deductible. My pregnancy is labeled high risk so every time I look up, the doctor is poking me with a needle or asking for a pee sample. I go to the hosptial for special ultrasounds and x-rays. All this resulted in me being billed $1,300 from the hospital and lab. This might have been okay until I discovered that my deductible starts over next month which means I will likely pay it twice in one year. Maybe even three times because apparently when I add the baby to the insurance, my deductible jumps from $2,000 to $4,000.

On top of this, my OBGYN tells me that I need to pay her upfront for my prenatal visits. She put me on a payment plan to ensure that I will meet my $2,000 deductible before my delivery date. Since I only have 5 months to pay, she expects me to pay damn near $400 a month. Thing is, how can you bill me for a service you haven't even provided yet....turns out it's called "global billing" and apprently a lot of OBGYN's use it. It's a way for them to ensure payment because some women give birth then never pay the doctor for thier delivery. So now I must pay $400 a month to OBGYN while also trying to pay off my current $1,300 bill from the hospital. I tried to get assistance but I don't qualify for many of the programs because I allegedly make too much money. Ugh, by the time I finish paying for all my prenatal care, there will be no money left to buy baby supplies. (Sigh), Universal healthcare would come in handy right about now.