"We don't accept CA$H"?

I know I said I was going to blog daily and I am committed to that. I missed yesterday as I was working on a very confusing situation. Here’s the story. (I wish I was making it up)

A WORKING INSURED pregnant mom calls me and is in a panic and needs help. After hearing what she had to say I verified the information, asked her for a copy of her policy, did some research and sure enough she was right: Her family is paying OVER $700 per month for medical insurance and it excludes maternity (VERY TYPICAL). What was NOT typical was the way the OBGYN office was treating her. I have elected to NOT call the office or office manager out by name YET. I am giving them until Thursday at 3pm CST to do the right thing or I will post their name and number and let YOU let them know how you feel about the situation.

So here’s the RUB. I was able to secure 50% of the OB’s global fee in the form of a scholarship to help this mom get the prenatal care she needs and deserves. The office manager told me, not some 3rd party, she told ME “It is against our policy to accept CA$H, we ONLY work with insurance.” Uhhhhh, what??? You don’t accept CA$H?? This is America right? Last I checked CA$H, NOT Insurance, is/was our currency. Have I missed something? I told her I did NOT understand but if she has the ability to pay and your office is accepting new patients -- what’s the problem? Does the following statistic not bother you?

The US Department of Health and Human Services quotes on their website http://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/womeninfants/prenatal.htm

• Every year nearly one million American women deliver babies without receiving adequate medical attention. (This mom has CA$H)

• Babies born to mothers who received no prenatal care are three times more likely to be born at low birth weight, and five times more likely to die, than those whose mothers received prenatal care.(I repeat this mom has CA$H)

Let me leave you with one final thought. Think about the treatment moms get that are in this EXACT situation but do NOT have CA$H!!!! I will keep you posted as to the outcome of this situation and hopefully this particular office does the right thing.

A special THANK YOU to all the thousands of OB offices who step up everyday and help to make pregnancy for “Moms in the Middle” an affordable REALITY.

Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant moms and their unborn babies,

Advocate Aaron