childbirth without insurance

"llama mama" wrote in message
. ..
most hospitals will work out a payment plan. then there's always the
Hill-Burton act, which says hospitals can't refuse treatment even if the
client can't afford it...



You are correct about the Hill-Burton Act in that any hospital accepting
public monies must provide a certain amount of care under that act, but,
those funds tend to get exhausted very early in the fiscal year and are very
difficult to obtain, in my experience, due to that.

From the web site:
http://www.infoline.org/InformationL...20Act%20cw.asp
HILL-BURTON ACT

The Hill-Burton Act is a federal program which requires "obligated
facilities" (health care facilities including hospitals) that have used
federal money for facility reconstruction or modernization to provide free
or low cost health care services to people living in the facility's area who
cannot afford to pay for the services. To be eligible, a person must not be
covered by, nor receive services under, a third-party insurer or a
governmental program such as Medicaid or Medicare. If income is less than
current Poverty Income Level, facility services may be free. If income is
greater than but not more than double Poverty Income Level, services may be
provided at full charge, reduced charge, or free. Check the individual
notice of your facility. It is not necessary that applicants be U.S.
Citizens. Patient need only have been living in the U.S. for a minimum of 3
months. (Note: Hill-Burton facilities must provide a specific amount of free
care per year, but can stop services once they have given that amount.)
The Hill-Burton Act is administered by the regional office of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.

I would not begin to depend on this as a first or even third line of
defense, but as a last ditch hope. Medically Needy Medicaid is more likely
to be helpful [name may be different in other States, that is the Florida
term]. http://www.parenttoparentofga.org/spenddown.htm

http://www.wvdhhr.org/ofs/Policy/IMM...r16/ch16_4.pdf

-Aula

"just me" wrote in message
om...

"llama mama" wrote in message
. ..
most hospitals will work out a payment plan. then there's always the
Hill-Burton act, which says hospitals can't refuse treatment even if the
client can't afford it...



You are correct about the Hill-Burton Act in that any hospital accepting
public monies must provide a certain amount of care under that act, but,
those funds tend to get exhausted very early in the fiscal year and are
very
difficult to obtain, in my experience, due to that.

If a pregant lady goes into any emergency room in labor, they will take care
of her. However, to increase the odds of a good outcome, the baby and mother
need good prenatal care, including a plan to deliver the baby.

Anyone who is pregant needs to have good prenatal care. In this case,
because the mother is out of the country, a clinic or doctor identified
before the mother comes to the US, and doctors here in the US get all the
medical records before the mother leaves for the US. In addition, the
doctors here might want to ask the certain tests that are done in the US but
not overseas as part of the prenatal care be done over there. This might
also decrease the cost of care, because, at least these tests won't have to
be paid for.

Good luck.

Jeff

From the web site:

http://www.infoline.org/InformationL...20Act%20cw.asp
HILL-BURTON ACT

The Hill-Burton Act is a federal program which requires "obligated
facilities" (health care facilities including hospitals) that have used
federal money for facility reconstruction or modernization to provide free
or low cost health care services to people living in the facility's area
who
cannot afford to pay for the services. To be eligible, a person must not
be
covered by, nor receive services under, a third-party insurer or a
governmental program such as Medicaid or Medicare. If income is less than
current Poverty Income Level, facility services may be free. If income is
greater than but not more than double Poverty Income Level, services may
be
provided at full charge, reduced charge, or free. Check the individual
notice of your facility. It is not necessary that applicants be U.S.
Citizens. Patient need only have been living in the U.S. for a minimum of
3
months. (Note: Hill-Burton facilities must provide a specific amount of
free
care per year, but can stop services once they have given that amount.)
The Hill-Burton Act is administered by the regional office of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.

I would not begin to depend on this as a first or even third line of
defense, but as a last ditch hope. Medically Needy Medicaid is more
likely
to be helpful [name may be different in other States, that is the Florida
term]. http://www.parenttoparentofga.org/spenddown.htm


http://www.wvdhhr.org/ofs/Policy/IMM...r16/ch16_4.pdf

-Aula

"1qa2ws" writes:

I'm a new international student from Poland. I've started my study at this
semester. I live in St.Louis, near the UMSL, and I've to buy some health
insurance for me. My wife is in Poland now, becouse she is finishing her
study there. She is going to go to USA on February - in about 29hbd. I've
asked at my university about health insurane, but afrer conception I cannot
buy any... What should I do?

a) You might have promised the U.S. government when you got your visa that
you had health insurance and/or the ability to support yourself and any
dependents you brought over. On the UMSL international student handbook
site, see the section under "What is a 'Public Charge'?" he

http://www.umsl.edu/~intelstu/curren...ok/family.html

In other words, it's possible that if you go to a hospital and get the
hospital really mad at you, the hospital could somehow call the government
and get you kicked out of the country. So definitely talk to UMSL
international student advisors as soon as possible.

b) Frankly, who knows that your wife is pregnant? How pregnant is she? Is
there any way you could apply for student health insurance and get away
with lying about the date of conception? Because, speaking
philosophically, how can you "know" that your wife is pregnant? We "know"
nothing. We are mere phantasms in the mind of God. If not knowing that
your wife is pregnant will get her health insurance, go for it.

c) If the UMSL counselors say your wife can qualify for the state health
insurance program for pregnant women even if she's in St. Louis on a
student visa, here's the URL:
http://www.mokids.org/health.htm

d) Go to the patient services representative at Barnes (or a hospital
affiliated with the UMSL medical school, if UMSL has a medical school, or
maybe a public hospital in St. Louis) and ask that person for advice.
Maybe you can work out a good deal with the patient services rep. The main
thing you know is assurances that the hospital won't try to get you
deported if you have a hard time paying the bills.

f) If worse comes to worse and your wife wants to go to St. Louis before
she delivers and you can't get any insurance, you could consider paying
cash for routine prenatal care, which probably cost be more than $1,000,
then have her carry around a folder that has her medical records in it.
When she goes into labor, she could just walk into Barnes with her patient
file and say, "Hi. You're delivering my baby!"

Sure, the ob/gyn won't have any idea who your wife is, but the ob/gyn who
decided that I should have my baby (because of preeclampsia) and the
doctor who delivered my baby had no idea who I was, and they seemed to do
a reasonably good job, under the circumstances.

Also: if the prenatal visits show that your wife has some obvious risk
factor, such as prenatal diabetes, you ought to go back to Poland about a
month before her due date and she ought to deliver in Poland, near
her family. Having a complicated delivery in a new country would be hell.

In ,
Al Bell wrote:

*"1qa2ws" writes:
*
*I'm a new international student from Poland. I've started my study at this
*semester. I live in St.Louis, near the UMSL, and I've to buy some health
*insurance for me. My wife is in Poland now, becouse she is finishing her
*study there. She is going to go to USA on February - in about 29hbd. I've
*asked at my university about health insurane, but afrer conception I cannot
*buy any... What should I do?
*
*a) You might have promised the U.S. government when you got your visa that
*you had health insurance and/or the ability to support yourself and any
*dependents you brought over. On the UMSL international student handbook
*site, see the section under "What is a 'Public Charge'?" he
*
*http://www.umsl.edu/~intelstu/curren...ok/family.html

Using that link, and then following along to
http://www.umsl.edu/~intelstu/curren...nghealthy.html
it appears that UMSL has mandatory health insurance for international
students. It doesn't say anything about their dependents, though. I
suppose it is entirely possible that he's allowed to get the insurance for
himself but not his family. I think the OP needs to go speak to the plan
administrator!

h.

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

In misc.kids.health 1qa2ws wrote:
I'm a new international student from Poland. I've started my study at this
semester. I live in St.Louis, near the UMSL, and I've to buy some health
insurance for me. My wife is in Poland now, becouse she is finishing her
study there. She is going to go to USA on February - in about 29hbd. I've
asked at my university about health insurane, but afrer conception I cannot
buy any... What should I do?

Have your wife deliver in Poland.

Wendy

In article ,
Wendy Marsden wrote:

In misc.kids.health 1qa2ws wrote:
I'm a new international student from Poland. I've started my study at this
semester. I live in St.Louis, near the UMSL, and I've to buy some health
insurance for me. My wife is in Poland now, becouse she is finishing her
study there. She is going to go to USA on February - in about 29hbd. I've
asked at my university about health insurane, but afrer conception I cannot
buy any... What should I do?

Have your wife deliver in Poland.

Wendy

That might be wise financially, but there is more to life than $$$. he
doesn't say how soon his wife is due -- I would hate to stay seperated
for several months extra, especially while I was pregnant. I would hate
to have given birth while my husband was on another continent. And, of
course, it will be at least a little while before mom and baby can fly
-- I'd hate to have to wait until the baby was a week old to see my
husband, introduce the baby. And I'd hate to have to fly alone with a
newborn!

I think I'd move heaven and earth to find a way for her to come here
before she gives birth.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

In article , dragonlady
says...

In article ,
Wendy Marsden wrote:

In misc.kids.health 1qa2ws wrote:
I'm a new international student from Poland. I've started my study at this
semester. I live in St.Louis, near the UMSL, and I've to buy some health
insurance for me. My wife is in Poland now, becouse she is finishing her
study there. She is going to go to USA on February - in about 29hbd. I've
asked at my university about health insurane, but afrer conception I cannot
buy any... What should I do?

Have your wife deliver in Poland.

Wendy

That might be wise financially, but there is more to life than $$$. he
doesn't say how soon his wife is due -- I would hate to stay seperated
for several months extra, especially while I was pregnant.

OK - he goes back to Poland for awhile.

Banty

In article ,
Banty wrote:

In article , dragonlady
says...

In article ,
Wendy Marsden wrote:

In misc.kids.health 1qa2ws wrote:
I'm a new international student from Poland. I've started my study at
this
semester. I live in St.Louis, near the UMSL, and I've to buy some health
insurance for me. My wife is in Poland now, becouse she is finishing her
study there. She is going to go to USA on February - in about 29hbd.
I've
asked at my university about health insurane, but afrer conception I
cannot
buy any... What should I do?

Have your wife deliver in Poland.

Wendy

That might be wise financially, but there is more to life than $$$. he
doesn't say how soon his wife is due -- I would hate to stay seperated
for several months extra, especially while I was pregnant.

OK - he goes back to Poland for awhile.

Banty


Right.

Most graduate programs will not let you just go back home for several
months and then pick up where you left.

And most student visas also limit severely the amount of time you can
leave the country and still return.

That is probably the LEAST viable option for this couple.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

In article , dragonlady
says...

In article ,
Banty wrote:

In article , dragonlady
says...

In article ,
Wendy Marsden wrote:

In misc.kids.health 1qa2ws wrote:
I'm a new international student from Poland. I've started my study at
this
semester. I live in St.Louis, near the UMSL, and I've to buy some health
insurance for me. My wife is in Poland now, becouse she is finishing her
study there. She is going to go to USA on February - in about 29hbd.
I've
asked at my university about health insurane, but afrer conception I
cannot
buy any... What should I do?

Have your wife deliver in Poland.

Wendy

That might be wise financially, but there is more to life than $$$. he
doesn't say how soon his wife is due -- I would hate to stay seperated
for several months extra, especially while I was pregnant.

OK - he goes back to Poland for awhile.

Banty


Right.

Most graduate programs will not let you just go back home for several
months and then pick up where you left.

And most student visas also limit severely the amount of time you can
leave the country and still return.

That is probably the LEAST viable option for this couple.

Why couldn't he take a break to go back? It happens relatively often in
engineering graduate programs. I had a Korean colleague go home for three months
to have a marriage arranged. And I'm talking a strigent research-oriented
engineering program.

Furthermore, the OP doesn't have to go home for "several months".

It's a great financial and medical risk to be giving birth without insurance.

There may be a motivation here as to citizenship for the child.

Banty

In article ,
Banty wrote:



Why couldn't he take a break to go back? It happens relatively often in
engineering graduate programs. I had a Korean colleague go home for three
months
to have a marriage arranged. And I'm talking a strigent research-oriented
engineering program.

Furthermore, the OP doesn't have to go home for "several months".

It's a great financial and medical risk to be giving birth without insurance.


There may be a motivation here as to citizenship for the child.

Banty


That's true; if the baby is born here, he or she will have dual
citizenship. Possibly yet another good reason for her to come here, if
they want USA citizenship for the baby.

Not all programs will allow a break, especially if he has any sort of
financial aid, like a teaching assistantship.

There's also the finances of him taking an extra round trip ticket, vs.
just the one ticket for her.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care