re: Americans who need insurance for your pregnancy

My wonderful job decided to take my benifits/insurace away from me because I'm only averaging 34.61 hours when 35 is the limit to receive it. WHY they can't round up is beyond me. It is already killing me to work as it is and I am wanting SO badly to lower my hours so I can rest more, but due to money situations I have no choice but to work. Also, they mentioned thatI don't qualify for a PAID maternity leave because of the 34.61 hours. How in the world they expect a single mother to take care of a newborn baby without any income for at least 6 weeks while on leave is beyond me. I honestly have no idea what I am going to do. I already was accepted for state insurance help... does anyone know how I would be able to get help with money maybe from the state as well while I'm out on leave? I'm breastfeeding so I don't need WIC or anything like that. I just have no idea what to do...

well for the first 5months, to my corrections, ill really find out how far alongi am, but i jus filed for insurance about a month ago, and they approved me the next week, so i didnt want to go with medicaid, soi went with molina instead and april 18th will be like the very first time seeing a obgyn and hopefully they can tell me wat im having, cuz im pretty sure im 5months.

Quoting MAKAILEE'S MOMMY!:“ My wonderful job decided to take my benifits/insurace away from me because I'm only averaging 34.61 hours ... [snip!] ... as well while I'm out on leave? I'm breastfeeding so I don't need WIC or anything like that. I just have no idea what to do...”

I would check with the state welfare program. I know here in utah you can get cash assistance once you're in your 3rd trimester and through leave I think. You may be able to google it with state info and something may come up. Thats how I found out that I could apply for medicaid online. Best of luck to you. 

Do NOT sign up for AHCO/Affordable Health Care Options/Maternity Card/Maternity Advantage

And here's why...

back in November 2007, I signed up for this service. I had no health insurance and was desparate AND pregnant. When you type "pregnant, no insurance" or anything close to that in www.google.com; instantly Maternity Card/AHCO/Affordable Health Care Options/Maternity Advantage comes up. This means that AHCO paid google to be the first website to pop up when this was typed into the search engine.

What is AHCO you ask?

AHCO claims to handle your bills and lower them for you; by up to 60%. They claim they will re-negotiate the actual cost of your bills for you, so that you won't have to pay asmuch. If they can't save you money, they claim they will refund you with a difference of $200.00 added. Of course, I have never heard of any customer receiving a refund.

I should have seen it as a red flag, but I didn't. When I signed up, either you pay $99 a month for 12 payments which equals to $1200.00, or you pay $700.00 in a one time payment. Now why would a company lower this lump sum by $500.00? To be nice? To be sweet?Because they care? NO! They are money hungry and evil! A quick chunk of change in the pocket, and they've snagged you! They claim you'll have service for a year, but I don't feel there's any service at all given.

I have contacted this company on several occasions trying to get my medical bills resolved. No doctor would take the "benefits card", despite the sales person's initial exclamation that EVERY doctor or hospital or dentist would accept this card. AHCO simply states to contact the doctor or hospital YOURSELF and give them the claims information. I paid $700.00 for this service. Shouldn't AHCO be contacting the folks trying to collect debt from me? Apparently, their customer service department doesn't handle that, or anything really.

WELL, I tried this route with a collections company, andbecause AHCO is not actual health insurance; they (they being the collections companies)will not view it as legit. These collection companies want their money, from me, right now.

I even sent an email in regards to this issue to Maternity Advantage/AHCO through the member website about a month ago. I never received a response.

I typed in Maternity Advantage/AHCO into www.google.com, and the complaints are horrendous; individual accounts of pregnant women who were scammed. If you search through the pages on google, you can find these women's stories.

I decided to visit www.BBB.com, or the website of the Better Business Bureau. Of 143 complaints filed by customers in the last 36 months; 49 complaints were closed in the last FOUR months.

The company simply responds by offering refunds. That sounds quite fishy, doesn't it? Why would the company offer a refund on $700.00 - $1200.00? They want to shut these complaintants up. AHCO does not want any further action taken against them. Why? Because they are a fraudulent company. I have a hard time believing they even have the department that supposedly re-negotiates your medical bills.

I am going to start posting this everywhere I can find a place to post.

If you have been SCAMMED by this company; you can either contact me via email at generalsubscribers@hotmail.com, or contact www.bbb.com or the Attorney General of your state. The more complaints this company has against them; the more likely we can get them fined or in BIG trouble. I want the newsstations to know about this; I want it to become COMMON knowledge that AHCO is a fraudulent company.

I have yet to file with the BBB or Attorney General of Minnesota because I am not going to be satisfied with a refund for myself. I want everyone who has been taken advantage of by this company to also get a refund of their money. I want this company to be fined; I want it to be shut down. We should not have to deal with empty promises of relief from our medical bills. We pregnant women want to enjoy our pregnancies; not be stressed out because we have been had!

I am interested in perhaps starting a class-action lawsuit against this company. AHCO is a scam. It is fraudulent. The company takes advantage of a pregnant woman's desperation for health insurance when none is offered.

DO NOT SIGN UP FOR AHCO/MATERNITY CARD/MATERNITY ADVANTAGE/AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE OPTIONS!

I am out $700.00 and the medical bills are piling higher and the collection calls are getting more nasty.

I am a pregnant woman looking out for other pregnant women because I have been scammed! I don't want you to be scammed too!

Regards,

Stacey

I'm sorry to read that some of the medicaid out there isn't the best. I live in Baton Rouge, La and we have LaMoms in this state. Medicaid for pregnant women. I don't know about anywhere else in the state, but it's pretty efficient here. I'm having my baby at one of the best hospitals here. Also if there is a Family Roads anywhere near you I recommend it. It's a great free program for pregnant women. But there aren't that many in the U.S.

in florida if you dont have health insurance but you also dont qualify for medicade they give you mommy and me insurance =]

Im on the medical card. I just started a job right before i found out i was expecting and I dont get insurance through my job untilafter 90 days. Once I get that I will not be using the medical card anymore, but it does help a lot.

Quoting tigress9mm:“ My fiance works full time with Home Depot and we figured once we get married I'll just go on his insurance ... [snip!] ... it out... ... I've paid into Medicaid for how many years, it's time I take advantage of what's available" it's RIDICULOUS!”

Just wondering how you've paid in to Medicaid. You may have been paying into Medicare through working as money comes out of every check for your Medicare, but you can't get Medicare unless you are 65 or disabled.

My suggestions is if you do not have health insurance & can afford it, get some soon. If you can't afford it, check with your county social services office to get on Medicaid. I work at a hospital in insurance & have sent too many people to collections. At least get something, the last thing you want when you have a new little baby is to have nasty phone calls from collection companies.

Those of us who pay federal and state income and local property taxes are contributing to the general tax funds that support programs like Medicaid, ANFC, and food stamps. So it is realistic to say one has been paying in to the program! Medicaid helps a lot of people who truly need it but there is a built in disincentive in the system... the more you work the less help you get. We should be encouraging more people to work and learn to become self sufficient. Of course we would all love to stay at home and take care of our children but it isn't practical for everyone. I work forty plus hours a week andam completing my graduate degree to support my family.I pay over $230 a month for family health coverage. To call Medicaid "free" is kind of offensive. It may be "free" to the participant... but not for the tax payers who are paying into it.

Quoting Ready2Pop:“ I don't have insurance, I'm kind of worried about that. It's like more than 500 dollars just to have a baby I'm guessing.”

Hi just read your post- I have4 kids and am on my 5th pregnancy,and it costs closer $6000 to have a baby (both baby and mama care). Best of luck to you and take care. You may want to look into medicaid, we have insurance and still needed medicaid to pick up the deductible.

Quoting Czichadee:“ I am in Canada so I have no idea what it's like to have to pay for medical services. I can't imagine how stressful that would be.”

I live in Canada too, too bad the USA doesn't have a better health care system 

Im sorry to hear all of this about the USA. I didn't realize medical cost were so much! I live in Canada and my boyfriends plans cover us 100% for dental and medical plus the baby when its born till he or she is 21. (or in school till he/shes 25) I wish everyone the best of luck during their pregnancy. It will all be worth it in the end 

I have insurance, but not maternity. I asked around to several hospitals for prices. If you tell them you don't have insurance and that you will pay right away, the price goes way down. I am going to start paying the hospital little by little during the pregnancy. The hospital costs (for a perfect vaginal delivery, of course) is $3400. It pays off to ask in advance.