(Here are some tips that a Patient Advocate such as myself uses to help you save money)
It is a fact that the medical system is a mess and if you are uninsured or underinsured and do NOT know your rights or if you do NOT know what to look for chances are VERY high that you will become a VICTIM of the medical establishment. I know, I know, nobody including myself wants to believe that. (But, facts are a stubborn thing) It is now estimated that 90% of all hospital bills contain errors. (Not a misprint, 90%!!!!) So what are you supposed to do to protect yourself? (Follow my tips and tricks below and you could save thousands of dollars) The bad news is the medical establishment knows that you are unlikely to do any of this, which is why Patients Advocates have become VERY popular. I know, because I am one.
There are several strategies to lower your out-of-pocket costs:
First and foremost, if you have any sort of insurance make sure you are aware of exactly what your insurance does cover and any deductibles that must be met before coverage takes affect.(Obvious, but I needed to state it)
Prescriptions:
If you are not insured or not eligible for government assistance be sure to check with Partnership for Prescription Assistance, they provide free or low cost prescriptions. www.PPARx.org or 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669). (Yes, it requires some paperwork on your part but you really can get FREE Prescriptions. I also recommend you ask your physician or local pharmacist for any coupons or refunds offered by pharmaceutical companies, you would be surprised at what is available just for asking. Also ask them about any local assistance programs that they are aware of in the area.)
It is very important that you COMMUNICATE openly and honestly with your doctor and let them know that you simply cannot afford expensive prescriptions. Most of the times he/she will have sample packs available, or will be able to prescribe generic or over-the-counter alternatives. If you are on any maintenance prescriptions inquire whether the dosage can be altered to make it more cost effective, or if it can be doubled and split to cut costs. Pill splitters are inexpensive, and you can purchase empty capsules at most apothecaries or formulary pharmacies. They may even split the capsules for you.
Doctor Bills:
Most insurance carriers pay physicians one-half to two-thirds of the billed amount, so if you are uninsured speak with your doctor personally and request a discounted rate. They will most often work with you. (If they won’t QUIT being loyal to a doctor that is NOT willing to offer you the same or better rates that he allows the greedy, self-serving “SYSTEM.”) Instead find a compassionate doctor who cares about YOU. If they request a follow-up visit see if it is possible that any fee may be waived, or at least discounted. And, if it is necessary, a follow up visit with a nurse so you won't interrupt the doctor's schedule and pay more. Notify your doctor that you will be paying out-of-pocket, and that you need to keep the costs down. Most respectable doctors will be happy to accommodate your request.
If any tests are suggested, make sure that you ask if they are necessary and what they will do. If you do have to have them request the paperwork so you can have it done at a lab. Or, you can request the physician waive the additional lab fees because you're already being charged for a visit. And if you have to come in just to have blood work done you will be charged for a visit, a phlebotomist fee, and lab fees. If you go to a lab, you are charged a flat lab fee. (This is typical of MOST but NOT all situations)
If the tests are expensive (and you have insurance) be sure to check with your insurance to verify that they will be covered, or if a second opinion is necessary before payment will be made.
Hospital Bills:
This is one place most people are likely to be overcharged. There are several things you can do to prevent this. You just need to be diligent and observant and always enlist help to catch anything you may miss.
The first thing you want to do is request an itemized bill when you are checking in. They are required by law to provide this. Be sure to specify that you want an itemized list brought to your bed each evening. If they neglect to do this or deny your request, demand to speak with a Patient Advocate. They are there for you, and their job is to protect your rights. (Hospitals don’t like it, but think about it, who wants someone looking over their shoulder?) If you’re being truthful it should be NO BIG DEAL…RIGHT?
Secondly, ask if you will be charged for your final days visit. Hospitals charge a full day’s visit no matter what time you are admitted, and in return, they are not supposed to charge for the final day. But, unless you check your bill you will not know until either you are billed, or the insurance company declines to pay, and then you have to fight with them. Be sure to ask for a specific check out time also. Before the final day arrives let the doctor know that you want to be discharged by the check-out time. If he will not be on call inform him/her that either you want to be discharged the day before when he/she is on call, or, you want to see another doctor. If you still are not accommodated, let your Patient Advocate know that you will refuse to be billed because it is the doctor’s fault that you could not be discharged by the specified time.
The third thing you need to do is double check your itemized list and verify every item on it. If something isn't clear ask a nurse for a specific description. Make sure you're not billed for two doctor visits when you only saw a physician once. Verify that any non-essential item isn't actually included in your room and board. Check operating room times against your charge for the anesthesiologist. Operating rooms are charged by the minute so if the charges are padded even a little it can be a substantial amount. And be sure to verify what exactly is included in operating room costs.
Finally, make sure that you have someone whom you can trust help keep track of all of the costs. Or, if you prefer have them take care of it for you. However, if any problems do arise that you feel are not adequately resolved there are people who will work on your behalf to resolve any issues. Generally speaking, these Patient Advocates will provide their services for a percentage of any savings they facilitate (NO savings, NO fees) or they will work for a flat rate. (Easy to budget for)
So, the question I get a lot. Advocate Aaron why do I need to pay a Patient Advocate? Can’t I just do it myself? The answer is simple. YES, you can do it yourself. If you get a DWI, you can also represent yourself. It is NOT recommended but you can. I only listed a few tips and tricks, the list is LONG.
I do think it is DUMB, UNFAIR, and RIDICULIOUS that you have to hire a Patient Advocate. The system should not be this messed up. The fact is the system is BAD and you DO need the help of a Patient Advocate.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
The Road to Perdition (HELL)
Ok, I understand my blog is about uninsured and underinsured pregnant moms and their unborn babies but I continually keep getting questions about healthcare, our government, the presidential race and most disturbing question is “Who is best going to take care of us?” I am so tired of hearing this. It is time we stand up and take care of ourselves. I also think it is time that we erect a new statue right next to the Statue of Liberty and it needs to be the Statue of Personal Responsibility. (REALLY)
When I think of the office of the President of the United States; indeed, when I think of my country, I think of big things. I think of a nation born out of a quest for freedom. I think of struggles for liberty that include the deaths of 600,000 Americans in order to end slavery. I think of millions of people, considered refuse in their native lands, coming to this nation for a chance to succeed. I think of billions of dollars sent to other countries partly in a bid to protect them and us from socialism and the totalitarian tendencies inherent in that corrupting ideology. I think of the self-sacrifice of thousands of American lives spent all over the world to safeguard the single most precious inheritance we have - liberty.
That’s why I lament the state of our political discourse today. It makes us so - small. It seems we can’t balance our own checkbooks, take out a loan for a house, handle a credit card, keep our own tires inflated, or keep our kids from stuffing their faces into Type II diabetes without the government holding our hands. Listen to the candidates. All too often, that’s what’s implied.
It doesn’t matter what party we’re talking about, although the party of Obama does seem to be the worst transgressor. Still, Texas’s current Comptroller, Susan Combs, a Republican, when she was Agriculture Commissioner, made it her mission to fight childhood obesity. She still makes noise about it every now and then. I mean, come on, I don’t mind if politicians make a little social commentary on occasion. It helps us learn about them and their judgment. But really, is Susan Combs going to appear at our houses like Santa Claus and tell our kids to get their butts out of the chair, stop playing video games, and get outside?
Both of the presidential candidates make sure to empathize with the plights of Americans struggling to pay their bills in the midst of uncertain economic times. During the Democrats’ convention we got to enjoy the spectacle of Joe Biden figuratively sitting down with us at our kitchen tables poring over our finances. Barack Obama spent time instructing us all how we need to learn foreign languages and properly inflate our tires to save gas.
Obama promises to rescue us from the need to save for retirement or health emergencies. Just about everybody is promising to rescue us from dumb and unaffordable home purchases. And, Lord knows we can’t make our own decisions about what to listen to on talk radio. They promise to make us play fair in that arena too, with the reimposition of the so-called “fairness doctrine” in broadcasting.
This is my question, now that we’re into small things. When will the government step in and make sure toilet paper doesn’t rip? Don’t they know that there are unscrupulous toilet paper producers making cheap, shoddy paper that fails to be both absorbent and tough? Others make cheap stuff that can’t get you clean. And, not all toilet paper is rated for septic systems! Some even has perfume that causes allergic reactions in people.
Now that my government is into small things, besides making sure that each of my children has enough to eat along with 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals, perhaps a federal agency could make sure their underwear is clean. I need a haircut. My cars need oil changes.
All this stuff about a war on terrorists, preventing a lunatic regime from getting nuclear weapons, and helping others to gain their freedom. That’s so not now. People are suffering right here, after all.
This is the kind of thinking that frightens me. It’s the kind of thinking that makes it difficult to afford bridges and roads. It’s the kind of thinking that makes it hard to secure our borders. It’s the kind of thinking that makes us all dependent. It’s the kind of thinking that makes us all slaves.
Fighting for Personal Responsibility,
Advocate Aaron
When I think of the office of the President of the United States; indeed, when I think of my country, I think of big things. I think of a nation born out of a quest for freedom. I think of struggles for liberty that include the deaths of 600,000 Americans in order to end slavery. I think of millions of people, considered refuse in their native lands, coming to this nation for a chance to succeed. I think of billions of dollars sent to other countries partly in a bid to protect them and us from socialism and the totalitarian tendencies inherent in that corrupting ideology. I think of the self-sacrifice of thousands of American lives spent all over the world to safeguard the single most precious inheritance we have - liberty.
That’s why I lament the state of our political discourse today. It makes us so - small. It seems we can’t balance our own checkbooks, take out a loan for a house, handle a credit card, keep our own tires inflated, or keep our kids from stuffing their faces into Type II diabetes without the government holding our hands. Listen to the candidates. All too often, that’s what’s implied.
It doesn’t matter what party we’re talking about, although the party of Obama does seem to be the worst transgressor. Still, Texas’s current Comptroller, Susan Combs, a Republican, when she was Agriculture Commissioner, made it her mission to fight childhood obesity. She still makes noise about it every now and then. I mean, come on, I don’t mind if politicians make a little social commentary on occasion. It helps us learn about them and their judgment. But really, is Susan Combs going to appear at our houses like Santa Claus and tell our kids to get their butts out of the chair, stop playing video games, and get outside?
Both of the presidential candidates make sure to empathize with the plights of Americans struggling to pay their bills in the midst of uncertain economic times. During the Democrats’ convention we got to enjoy the spectacle of Joe Biden figuratively sitting down with us at our kitchen tables poring over our finances. Barack Obama spent time instructing us all how we need to learn foreign languages and properly inflate our tires to save gas.
Obama promises to rescue us from the need to save for retirement or health emergencies. Just about everybody is promising to rescue us from dumb and unaffordable home purchases. And, Lord knows we can’t make our own decisions about what to listen to on talk radio. They promise to make us play fair in that arena too, with the reimposition of the so-called “fairness doctrine” in broadcasting.
This is my question, now that we’re into small things. When will the government step in and make sure toilet paper doesn’t rip? Don’t they know that there are unscrupulous toilet paper producers making cheap, shoddy paper that fails to be both absorbent and tough? Others make cheap stuff that can’t get you clean. And, not all toilet paper is rated for septic systems! Some even has perfume that causes allergic reactions in people.
Now that my government is into small things, besides making sure that each of my children has enough to eat along with 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals, perhaps a federal agency could make sure their underwear is clean. I need a haircut. My cars need oil changes.
All this stuff about a war on terrorists, preventing a lunatic regime from getting nuclear weapons, and helping others to gain their freedom. That’s so not now. People are suffering right here, after all.
This is the kind of thinking that frightens me. It’s the kind of thinking that makes it difficult to afford bridges and roads. It’s the kind of thinking that makes it hard to secure our borders. It’s the kind of thinking that makes us all dependent. It’s the kind of thinking that makes us all slaves.
Fighting for Personal Responsibility,
Advocate Aaron
A Regular Health Care Obama-rama
I have literally received hundreds of emails, IM, text messages and phone calls asking me if I support the Barack Obama health plan. The answer in short. NO.
Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama has a health plan. He promises to make health care more affordable and he promises to make sure we all have health insurance at least as good as that provided to Congress.
Wow. That sounds awfully good. We get cheaper health care and a lot more of it. Who could be against that? Nobody. And that’s why Obama’s promises are so clever. If all you do is hear his promises and believe they can be accomplished, anybody who says Obama’s wrong is just a big ogre and clearly doesn’t care about people.
But this is the problem. I can promise to terraform the moon and turn it into a free vacation spot for everybody regardless of income. That sounds really good, but is the promise meaningful? Of course not. It’s not realistic. Obama’s health care promises are about the same caliber. They just aren’t realistic.
Right now, Americans devote 16 % - nearly a fifth – of our economy to health care. As it turns out, if health inflation had been equal to general inflation since 1960 we would devote only 7 percent of our economy to health care and we would get exactly the same amount of care. In other words, most of the growth in health care’s share of the economy since 1960 has been a result of health care getting more expensive.
The main reason health care prices have risen so fast is that we already follow Obama-style (socialist) policies, on a piecemeal basis. Through our income tax system, we have encouraged people to get employer-paid health insurance plans. Health insurance, rather than being real insurance, is really pre-paid health care with consumers paying very little out of their own pockets. Consequently, we do not bear the true costs of our own choices such as how often we see a doctor, whether we go to the emergency room or to a clinic, and whether we make healthy or unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Obama’s proposals would only exacerbate all of the costly outcomes of our current system by moving closer to a fully socialized system. In so doing, his policies would make fully socialized medicine almost inevitable. Many, perhaps including Obama, worship at the feet of the British and Canadian health care models. And, if you like long lines, limited choices of doctors, and allowing bureaucrats to decide if you get needed care, perhaps you should move to Canada. But, there is plenty of evidence that the Canadian system would collapse if Canadians were not able to come to the USA for care they can’t reasonably obtain in their own country.
A primary provision of Obama’s plan would be guaranteed insurance. Health insurance companies would have to provide a certain level of coverage and they would be prohibited from turning anyone down, regardless of pre-conditions. You don’t have to be an economist to know this drives up costs.Obama would create an insurance exchange at the national level. Why an exchange would be needed is beyond me when everybody is going to have to sell the same insurance. He also says he would allow “flexibility for state plans.” Yeah, right. And where exactly is that flexibility? I guess he’d allow states to mandate the coverage of toe fungus medicine.
Of course, Obama will come to the rescue once he finishes driving health insurance costs into the stratosphere. Why, after he finishes mandating coverage for everybody and forces all employers to help pay premiums through new taxes (as if employees will pay nothing – hello unemployment!) he’ll generously provide subsidies for those who find the insurance unaffordable. Isn’t that nice of him to play hero with other peoples’ money?
And what will happen when, instead of medical inflation doubling general inflation, it starts to triple it? Well, get ready for price controls, controls on doctors’ practices far more comprehensive than any insurance company ever attempted, and controls on what you get to buy with your own money. Ultimately, we will get the Hillarycare we all rejected back in 1994.
Oh well, when a government bureaucrat decides your life isn’t worth the cost of an appendectomy, I suppose there’s always Mexico. Barack Obama – what a guy.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama has a health plan. He promises to make health care more affordable and he promises to make sure we all have health insurance at least as good as that provided to Congress.
Wow. That sounds awfully good. We get cheaper health care and a lot more of it. Who could be against that? Nobody. And that’s why Obama’s promises are so clever. If all you do is hear his promises and believe they can be accomplished, anybody who says Obama’s wrong is just a big ogre and clearly doesn’t care about people.
But this is the problem. I can promise to terraform the moon and turn it into a free vacation spot for everybody regardless of income. That sounds really good, but is the promise meaningful? Of course not. It’s not realistic. Obama’s health care promises are about the same caliber. They just aren’t realistic.
Right now, Americans devote 16 % - nearly a fifth – of our economy to health care. As it turns out, if health inflation had been equal to general inflation since 1960 we would devote only 7 percent of our economy to health care and we would get exactly the same amount of care. In other words, most of the growth in health care’s share of the economy since 1960 has been a result of health care getting more expensive.
The main reason health care prices have risen so fast is that we already follow Obama-style (socialist) policies, on a piecemeal basis. Through our income tax system, we have encouraged people to get employer-paid health insurance plans. Health insurance, rather than being real insurance, is really pre-paid health care with consumers paying very little out of their own pockets. Consequently, we do not bear the true costs of our own choices such as how often we see a doctor, whether we go to the emergency room or to a clinic, and whether we make healthy or unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Obama’s proposals would only exacerbate all of the costly outcomes of our current system by moving closer to a fully socialized system. In so doing, his policies would make fully socialized medicine almost inevitable. Many, perhaps including Obama, worship at the feet of the British and Canadian health care models. And, if you like long lines, limited choices of doctors, and allowing bureaucrats to decide if you get needed care, perhaps you should move to Canada. But, there is plenty of evidence that the Canadian system would collapse if Canadians were not able to come to the USA for care they can’t reasonably obtain in their own country.
A primary provision of Obama’s plan would be guaranteed insurance. Health insurance companies would have to provide a certain level of coverage and they would be prohibited from turning anyone down, regardless of pre-conditions. You don’t have to be an economist to know this drives up costs.Obama would create an insurance exchange at the national level. Why an exchange would be needed is beyond me when everybody is going to have to sell the same insurance. He also says he would allow “flexibility for state plans.” Yeah, right. And where exactly is that flexibility? I guess he’d allow states to mandate the coverage of toe fungus medicine.
Of course, Obama will come to the rescue once he finishes driving health insurance costs into the stratosphere. Why, after he finishes mandating coverage for everybody and forces all employers to help pay premiums through new taxes (as if employees will pay nothing – hello unemployment!) he’ll generously provide subsidies for those who find the insurance unaffordable. Isn’t that nice of him to play hero with other peoples’ money?
And what will happen when, instead of medical inflation doubling general inflation, it starts to triple it? Well, get ready for price controls, controls on doctors’ practices far more comprehensive than any insurance company ever attempted, and controls on what you get to buy with your own money. Ultimately, we will get the Hillarycare we all rejected back in 1994.
Oh well, when a government bureaucrat decides your life isn’t worth the cost of an appendectomy, I suppose there’s always Mexico. Barack Obama – what a guy.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
Benefits of Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins work better when taken along with a healthy diet. They are only meant to be a supplement, and not a substitute for a proper diet. Never rely on prenatal vitamins for all your nutritional needs. Talk to your doctor about what foods you should be eating.
Be sure to keep an eye on your calcium. An expectant mother generally requires 1,200mg - 1,500mg of calcium on a daily basis. Most prenatal vitamins do not contain this amount, so you may need a calcium supplement in addition. (Many will only contain 250-500mg.) Calcium is certainly important in the development of your new baby.
No two prenatal vitamins are the same; and many may not provide any benefits at all. Recent studies show that a pregnant woman’s body does not necessarily absorb all of the nutrients provided by the vitamins, especially folate. Folate is extremely important in the baby’s prenatal development. The vitamin helps prevent birth defects like spina-bifida.
While prescribed vitamins are ideal, most of the same vitamins are available over the counter in stores. You may be able to save substantial money with a store bought brand. The most important things to consider are the ingredients in the vitamins, and whether they absorb quickly or not.
There is an easy test you can use to determine if the vitamins will be absorbed into your system. Put one of the prenatal vitamins into a cup of water. Wait ten minutes. If the vitamin is dissolved, or is very soft, it will be absorbed into your system. If the vitamin remains hard, it will probably pass through your system without depositing many of the nutrients it carries. This is important, so be sure to do this with any new vitamin. (I am NOT a doctor or rocket scientist, this is just plain LOGIC)
Finding the right prenatal vitamin may take a little trial and error, but the benefits are great. Just continue to keep in mind that you still need to maintain a healthy diet. The benefits of prenatal vitamins are enormous and highly recommended, but good nutrition is still better than any supplement. Remember, no vitamin is going to be exactly the same, but here is what most sources that I have found suggest (these will vary slightly):
4,000 and 5,000 IU (international units) of vitamin A
800 and 1,000 mcg (1 mg) of folic acid
400 IU of vitamin D
200 to 300 mg of calcium
70 mg of vitamin C
1.5 mg of thiamine
1.6 mg of riboflavin
2.6 mg of pyridoxine
17 mg of niacin amide
2.2 mcg of vitamin B-12
10 mg of vitamin E
15 mg of zinc
30 mg of iron
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
Be sure to keep an eye on your calcium. An expectant mother generally requires 1,200mg - 1,500mg of calcium on a daily basis. Most prenatal vitamins do not contain this amount, so you may need a calcium supplement in addition. (Many will only contain 250-500mg.) Calcium is certainly important in the development of your new baby.
No two prenatal vitamins are the same; and many may not provide any benefits at all. Recent studies show that a pregnant woman’s body does not necessarily absorb all of the nutrients provided by the vitamins, especially folate. Folate is extremely important in the baby’s prenatal development. The vitamin helps prevent birth defects like spina-bifida.
While prescribed vitamins are ideal, most of the same vitamins are available over the counter in stores. You may be able to save substantial money with a store bought brand. The most important things to consider are the ingredients in the vitamins, and whether they absorb quickly or not.
There is an easy test you can use to determine if the vitamins will be absorbed into your system. Put one of the prenatal vitamins into a cup of water. Wait ten minutes. If the vitamin is dissolved, or is very soft, it will be absorbed into your system. If the vitamin remains hard, it will probably pass through your system without depositing many of the nutrients it carries. This is important, so be sure to do this with any new vitamin. (I am NOT a doctor or rocket scientist, this is just plain LOGIC)
Finding the right prenatal vitamin may take a little trial and error, but the benefits are great. Just continue to keep in mind that you still need to maintain a healthy diet. The benefits of prenatal vitamins are enormous and highly recommended, but good nutrition is still better than any supplement. Remember, no vitamin is going to be exactly the same, but here is what most sources that I have found suggest (these will vary slightly):
4,000 and 5,000 IU (international units) of vitamin A
800 and 1,000 mcg (1 mg) of folic acid
400 IU of vitamin D
200 to 300 mg of calcium
70 mg of vitamin C
1.5 mg of thiamine
1.6 mg of riboflavin
2.6 mg of pyridoxine
17 mg of niacin amide
2.2 mcg of vitamin B-12
10 mg of vitamin E
15 mg of zinc
30 mg of iron
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
The Big Rip-Off
Combining unregulated hospital billing charges with profiteering, along with an intentional misrepresentation is quickly fueling the runaway healthcare inflation rate. Taking the rate of medical errors and the dangers to patients of spending time in the hospital into consideration, we have crucial evidence of an industry that is in crisis. This crisis of the uninsured is caused by hospitals overcharging them, and then holding their greedy hands out to the government for even more handouts. Offshore accounts with hundreds of millions of dollars, millionaire CEOs, and billions in profits are further indicators of the industry wide corruption. Are all of the hospitals involved in this con game? No, but those that are not, are not blowing the whistle on those that are. We have only just begun to scratch the surface of this national scam.
The not-for-profit hospital system is based upon the concept of allowing these financial institutions to develop regional monopolies in health care, permitting them to develop their own insurance products, their own nursing homes, their own home health agencies, all feeding upon the local population. By choosing the right board members, by being the largest employer in the area, and by being the largest advertiser in newspapers and television in the region, the “hospital system” can stifle competition, quiet opposing opinions, and control all of health care for that region. Just look around at both large and small cities throughout the nation.
With more growth, they can control doctors, other insurance carriers, and become the most potent political operators and lobbyists in the states where they exist. They can prevent passage of certificate-of-need legislation, preventing the growth of more convenient medical care. Competition with other hospital systems becomes the exception. Right now this is just a dream, but if we all continue to pull together, maybe someday, it will be a reality.
For now, please go to www.hospitalvictims.org , and have a really good look around. Click on every single link, and compare the prices of the hospitals in your area with John Hopkins. Join The Fairness Foundation, and let them see what they can do to help you with your medical issues.
Stay persistent. Keep fighting. Just because you are uninsured or underinsured does not mean you cannot receive the medical attention that you deserve.Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
Birthing Centers vs. Hospitals
If you are a perfectly healthy woman at low risk for any pregnancy and birth complications who happens to be wanting a more natural , family-centered experience without all of the annoying routine medical interventions (like IVs and electronic fetal monitoring), then you may very well want to consider having your baby delivered at a birthing center. They offer a low-tech, high-touch, personalized, and extremely comfortable place for childbirth. Every accredited birthing center will care for you with licensed professionals, usually a midwife and a nurse, with a backup hospital nearby and a doctor on call in case of any emergency.
Birthing centers are not to be confused with mini-hospitals. Labor will never be induced or "helped along” and c-sections are never performed at birthing centers, only by doctors at hospitals when necessary. However, they are equipped with IVs, oxygen, medication, and infant resuscitation equipment in case emergency care needs to be started while you or your baby are awaiting transport to the hospital.
Birthing centers never routinely use interventions. You will not automatically be hooked up to an IV, and instead of a continuous electronic fetal monitoring which often requires you to stay in bed, a midwife or nurse will monitor your baby's heartbeat intermittently with a handheld Doppler similar to the one during your prenatal visits.
One huge advantage: after you give birth, there are no routine policies or procedures that require you to be separated from your baby. Every examination, including the first bath, can take place in your room. Breastfeeding is usually encouraged, the same as at hospitals, the private rooms are nicer, checkout is quicker (usually 12-24 hours), and the overall cost is usually lower. (1/3 the cost is NOT uncommon)
All accredited birthing centers have a backup arrangement with doctors and a nearby hospital in case you need to be transferred there during labor, birth, or postpartum. Drug free births are strongly encouraged; Demerol is provided, but epidurals are not. You may move around freely, choose the position that you want for labor and birth, and eat and drink anything you choose during labor. You may also have anyone present in the room that you wish, including children.
Overall, it is just as safe to give birth in a birthing center as a hospital, and it is cheaper. A nearby hospital and doctor is always on call just in case, but only one in every eight women ever have to switch and that is usually only when labor has to be induced. You can always make sure that they are accredited by calling The American Association of Birth Centers, or visiting their website at www.birthcenters.org for more information.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
Birthing centers are not to be confused with mini-hospitals. Labor will never be induced or "helped along” and c-sections are never performed at birthing centers, only by doctors at hospitals when necessary. However, they are equipped with IVs, oxygen, medication, and infant resuscitation equipment in case emergency care needs to be started while you or your baby are awaiting transport to the hospital.
Birthing centers never routinely use interventions. You will not automatically be hooked up to an IV, and instead of a continuous electronic fetal monitoring which often requires you to stay in bed, a midwife or nurse will monitor your baby's heartbeat intermittently with a handheld Doppler similar to the one during your prenatal visits.
One huge advantage: after you give birth, there are no routine policies or procedures that require you to be separated from your baby. Every examination, including the first bath, can take place in your room. Breastfeeding is usually encouraged, the same as at hospitals, the private rooms are nicer, checkout is quicker (usually 12-24 hours), and the overall cost is usually lower. (1/3 the cost is NOT uncommon)
All accredited birthing centers have a backup arrangement with doctors and a nearby hospital in case you need to be transferred there during labor, birth, or postpartum. Drug free births are strongly encouraged; Demerol is provided, but epidurals are not. You may move around freely, choose the position that you want for labor and birth, and eat and drink anything you choose during labor. You may also have anyone present in the room that you wish, including children.
Overall, it is just as safe to give birth in a birthing center as a hospital, and it is cheaper. A nearby hospital and doctor is always on call just in case, but only one in every eight women ever have to switch and that is usually only when labor has to be induced. You can always make sure that they are accredited by calling The American Association of Birth Centers, or visiting their website at www.birthcenters.org for more information.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
“Are You SURE He Doesn’t Beat You?”
I hope this story angers you as much as it did me. (I also hope that you will help me in doing something about it.) This story just further illustrates how messed up the situation is for women and mothers in need.
I was talking to a mother of three today. Her family had fallen on hard times; her husband had been injured - not badly, but he couldn’t walk for three months, they had no health insurance (he was self-employed) and they had received an eviction notice in the mail. She was working, but the money she was making had to pay for the “necessities.” You know electricity, diapers and food. Well, as time went on her family fell further and further behind. (I know that feeling.) So in that very moment she made the decision to move the family to a smaller “all bills paid” apartment until they could get back on their feet. She started making calls to find a shelter for 30 days so she could save deposit money for a new place. (To my loyal friends, you already know why I like her: she makes no excuses, just figures it out mentality.) She did find some help with food from a local small town church. (Not surprised.)
“So, Aaron, where are you going with this story?” I am so glad you asked. As you know I fight EVERY single day for uninsured and underinsured pregnant moms. The key is the moms I help do NOT have maternity insurance AND they do NOT qualify for government assistance. That is why we call them “Moms in the Middle.” They are working contributors to society AND they hold the title of MOM!!!!
This mom started calling around for help after NOT qualifying for government assistance because she was working 3 jobs to keep her family’s dignity while her husband recouped from his injury. (Shouldn’t we reward this behavior? “Thanks for being a tax paying contributor…sorry we can’t help.”) Get ready to have your blood boil. This is what the social workers advice to her was…Are you sure you are ready???...
“Are you SURE he doesn’t beat you? We have plenty of programs for battered women.” “What?” She was asked again, “Are you SURE he doesn’t beat you? Because we can help you if that is the case!” So, she broke down and called the welfare office and demanded answers. Guess what she was told? Actually, I am going to let you read it in her own words…
“Sorry, we can probably give you food stamps, but we don’t have housing. Call the churches and charities.” I explained that I had already done that, and had been told they only had shelters for battered women. “Well, honey,” said the welfare worker, “sometimes you have to do what you have to do.” I was shocked. “I can’t say my husband beats me!” I protested “First, it’s not true; second, he could go to jail!” “Oh, it’s all confidential,” the worker assured me. “No one can file charges if you don’t give them his name. Just say you’re too scared, that he’s a cop or something. Then at least you and the kids aren’t living out on the street.” (The street is where that social worker belongs!!!)
Guess what this MOM did INSTEAD? She did NOT follow the social workers advice. She scraped together enough cash by begging and borrowing from everyone she knew, staved off the eviction notice by working out a payment plan, and took two part-time jobs in addition to her full-time job to make ends meet while her husband got back on his feet. HURRAY, HURRAY this is the behavior that should be rewarded!!! GOSH, is this not logical and OBVIOUS?!!!
I asked MOM, “Why didn’t you just take the FREE help?” “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take some poor woman’s spot that was really in that kind of jam or harm. I just wish there was temporary aid for people who slip through the cracks, like my family. Of course, if I was unmarried, all three of my kids had different fathers and I was expecting a fourth, they would have had me in housing and all bills paid in about two seconds flat - I wouldn’t even have had to hold down a job.”
That statement makes me VERY angry, because she is right. Let’s replay, for a minute: This young mom was struggling to support her family. Her husband was a good man, who through no fault of his own, had been injured and was temporarily unable to support his family. (All they needed was a little help.) Instead, she was encouraged to lie, to accuse her husband of assault - in fact, battering would count as multiple assaults - to defraud the churches and charities set up to help battered women and to STEAL tax dollars. What a pathetic system! She made a good point when she mentioned that being married and her husband being the father of her children actually worked against her hopes of getting any aid. So, the lesson for all you moms that fall upon hard times… it’s simple…JUST…Quit your job, divorce your husband and go on the dole? (Remember, the system is your friend…)
To all the “Moms in the Middle” I want to personally thank you for all the sacrifices you make every day and I will continue to FIGHT for your dignity and to help STOP the unfair treatment.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
I was talking to a mother of three today. Her family had fallen on hard times; her husband had been injured - not badly, but he couldn’t walk for three months, they had no health insurance (he was self-employed) and they had received an eviction notice in the mail. She was working, but the money she was making had to pay for the “necessities.” You know electricity, diapers and food. Well, as time went on her family fell further and further behind. (I know that feeling.) So in that very moment she made the decision to move the family to a smaller “all bills paid” apartment until they could get back on their feet. She started making calls to find a shelter for 30 days so she could save deposit money for a new place. (To my loyal friends, you already know why I like her: she makes no excuses, just figures it out mentality.) She did find some help with food from a local small town church. (Not surprised.)
“So, Aaron, where are you going with this story?” I am so glad you asked. As you know I fight EVERY single day for uninsured and underinsured pregnant moms. The key is the moms I help do NOT have maternity insurance AND they do NOT qualify for government assistance. That is why we call them “Moms in the Middle.” They are working contributors to society AND they hold the title of MOM!!!!
This mom started calling around for help after NOT qualifying for government assistance because she was working 3 jobs to keep her family’s dignity while her husband recouped from his injury. (Shouldn’t we reward this behavior? “Thanks for being a tax paying contributor…sorry we can’t help.”) Get ready to have your blood boil. This is what the social workers advice to her was…Are you sure you are ready???...
“Are you SURE he doesn’t beat you? We have plenty of programs for battered women.” “What?” She was asked again, “Are you SURE he doesn’t beat you? Because we can help you if that is the case!” So, she broke down and called the welfare office and demanded answers. Guess what she was told? Actually, I am going to let you read it in her own words…
“Sorry, we can probably give you food stamps, but we don’t have housing. Call the churches and charities.” I explained that I had already done that, and had been told they only had shelters for battered women. “Well, honey,” said the welfare worker, “sometimes you have to do what you have to do.” I was shocked. “I can’t say my husband beats me!” I protested “First, it’s not true; second, he could go to jail!” “Oh, it’s all confidential,” the worker assured me. “No one can file charges if you don’t give them his name. Just say you’re too scared, that he’s a cop or something. Then at least you and the kids aren’t living out on the street.” (The street is where that social worker belongs!!!)
Guess what this MOM did INSTEAD? She did NOT follow the social workers advice. She scraped together enough cash by begging and borrowing from everyone she knew, staved off the eviction notice by working out a payment plan, and took two part-time jobs in addition to her full-time job to make ends meet while her husband got back on his feet. HURRAY, HURRAY this is the behavior that should be rewarded!!! GOSH, is this not logical and OBVIOUS?!!!
I asked MOM, “Why didn’t you just take the FREE help?” “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take some poor woman’s spot that was really in that kind of jam or harm. I just wish there was temporary aid for people who slip through the cracks, like my family. Of course, if I was unmarried, all three of my kids had different fathers and I was expecting a fourth, they would have had me in housing and all bills paid in about two seconds flat - I wouldn’t even have had to hold down a job.”
That statement makes me VERY angry, because she is right. Let’s replay, for a minute: This young mom was struggling to support her family. Her husband was a good man, who through no fault of his own, had been injured and was temporarily unable to support his family. (All they needed was a little help.) Instead, she was encouraged to lie, to accuse her husband of assault - in fact, battering would count as multiple assaults - to defraud the churches and charities set up to help battered women and to STEAL tax dollars. What a pathetic system! She made a good point when she mentioned that being married and her husband being the father of her children actually worked against her hopes of getting any aid. So, the lesson for all you moms that fall upon hard times… it’s simple…JUST…Quit your job, divorce your husband and go on the dole? (Remember, the system is your friend…)
To all the “Moms in the Middle” I want to personally thank you for all the sacrifices you make every day and I will continue to FIGHT for your dignity and to help STOP the unfair treatment.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
RIP
Yesterday was a sad day for those of us who have decided to take on the good fight of defending and standing up for the uninsured. J. Patrick Rooney is a true advocate that stood for what was right and really made a difference in this world. Pat, rest in peace and know that the fight to defend those less fortunate will continue. Thanks for everything.
Respectfully,
Advocate Aaron
The passing of Pat Rooney reminds us just how much impact one individual can have on improving the lives of many millions with a commitment to reshaping state and national health care legislation.
Pat was a great man and a pioneer in the consumer driven health care movement.
His family-owned insurance firm, Golden Rule, was the first to offer commercially available medical savings accounts (MSAs). His legacy includes far-reaching legislative action on health care reform, giving more than 12 million people significant control of their health care dollars with consumer directed plans.
He started the http://www.fairnessfoundation.org/ and http://www.hospitalvictims.org/ these are two tools I use regularly.
I love how he fought for FAIRNESS.
Fighting for fairness
Advocating for the uninsured
Investing in the way the uninsured are billed
Raising awareness of the plight of the uninsured
Negotiating change, demanding transparency
Educating Americans about hospital pricing
Seeking solutions
Saving people from the maze of hospital charges
Respectfully,
Advocate Aaron
The passing of Pat Rooney reminds us just how much impact one individual can have on improving the lives of many millions with a commitment to reshaping state and national health care legislation.
Pat was a great man and a pioneer in the consumer driven health care movement.
His family-owned insurance firm, Golden Rule, was the first to offer commercially available medical savings accounts (MSAs). His legacy includes far-reaching legislative action on health care reform, giving more than 12 million people significant control of their health care dollars with consumer directed plans.
He started the http://www.fairnessfoundation.org/ and http://www.hospitalvictims.org/ these are two tools I use regularly.
I love how he fought for FAIRNESS.
Fighting for fairness
Advocating for the uninsured
Investing in the way the uninsured are billed
Raising awareness of the plight of the uninsured
Negotiating change, demanding transparency
Educating Americans about hospital pricing
Seeking solutions
Saving people from the maze of hospital charges
Bankruptcy to the Rescue
The leading cause of the United States’ 1.5 million bankruptcies stems from not being able to pay medical bills. Less than half of those filing for bankruptcy have insurance (many lose it as a result of the process). According to the Urban Institute, “Uninsured families report medical bill problems at double or triple the rate of insured families, and medical bills have been found a contributing factor in a sixth or more of bankruptcies.”
The average cost to have baby can range from $6,000 to $30,000 depending on what part of the country you’re in. For that amount of money, an uninsured mother could put herself through a variety of employment training programs and through four years of schooling at a number of public universities. Instead she pays inflated medical bills.
However what she gets for that price includes only adequate prenatal care and delivery, but none of the “extras” associated with high risk pregnancies (and by the way, lack of insurance is frequently associated with a higher risk). So if a woman is unable to pay the cost of insurance premiums, how is she going to come up with $6,000 to $30,000 to pay for doctor visits and delivery?
No wonder she chooses bankruptcy. She can’t afford not to.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies!!!
Advocate Aaron
The average cost to have baby can range from $6,000 to $30,000 depending on what part of the country you’re in. For that amount of money, an uninsured mother could put herself through a variety of employment training programs and through four years of schooling at a number of public universities. Instead she pays inflated medical bills.
However what she gets for that price includes only adequate prenatal care and delivery, but none of the “extras” associated with high risk pregnancies (and by the way, lack of insurance is frequently associated with a higher risk). So if a woman is unable to pay the cost of insurance premiums, how is she going to come up with $6,000 to $30,000 to pay for doctor visits and delivery?
No wonder she chooses bankruptcy. She can’t afford not to.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant mom and their unborn babies!!!
Advocate Aaron
Out of Sight, Out of Reach
The good news: In the last decade, the rise in wages has kept pace with the rise in consumer prices—both have gone up by about 20 percent. The bad news: The cost of insurance premiums has nearly doubled in that same time period. Twenty years ago, an entire family could be insured for the same cost as an individual today.
That increase in insurance coverage is directly correlated to the rise in the number of uninsured Americans. Most uninsured prefer not to risk living without insurance; however, the primary reason 47 million Americans go uninsured is because they can’t afford it. Most are stretching every dollar to pay for their basic needs—rent, food, electricity—so they make the choice to go without insurance. Most are employed, but work where insurance isn’t provided. Employers that offer insurance absorb around 75 percent of a policy’s cost. Those who have to buy their own insurance spend well over 10 percent of their incomes on a policy that usually covers less.
To afford insurance, a single, pregnant woman living too far over the poverty level to receive assistance (a $10 an hour job in many states), would spend approximately $1500 per year from her $15,000 annual income on insurance. That leaves her less than $1000 per month to pay for everything else. At that income, she is ineligible for Medicaid, but incapable of affording insurance.
Without insurance, she is less likely to receive prenatal care, which means she is more likely to have complications with delivery and more likely to have a baby who needs expensive medical care.
Insurance costs are out of sight, which makes adequate medical care out of reach.
Fighting for uninsured and underinsured pregnant women,
Advocate Aaron
That increase in insurance coverage is directly correlated to the rise in the number of uninsured Americans. Most uninsured prefer not to risk living without insurance; however, the primary reason 47 million Americans go uninsured is because they can’t afford it. Most are stretching every dollar to pay for their basic needs—rent, food, electricity—so they make the choice to go without insurance. Most are employed, but work where insurance isn’t provided. Employers that offer insurance absorb around 75 percent of a policy’s cost. Those who have to buy their own insurance spend well over 10 percent of their incomes on a policy that usually covers less.
To afford insurance, a single, pregnant woman living too far over the poverty level to receive assistance (a $10 an hour job in many states), would spend approximately $1500 per year from her $15,000 annual income on insurance. That leaves her less than $1000 per month to pay for everything else. At that income, she is ineligible for Medicaid, but incapable of affording insurance.
Without insurance, she is less likely to receive prenatal care, which means she is more likely to have complications with delivery and more likely to have a baby who needs expensive medical care.
Insurance costs are out of sight, which makes adequate medical care out of reach.
Fighting for uninsured and underinsured pregnant women,
Advocate Aaron
For the Children
When we deny adequate medical care to a mother, we are denying it to her children as well. An uninsured pregnant woman will certainly have greater financial strains after her baby is born than she did when she was pregnant. According to the FDA, even at the lowest income level, a mother is committing to at least $6000 in annual expenses to raise her child. The likelihood that she will suddenly be able to afford insurance is delusional.
To assume a child is automatically covered under state programs such as CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Programs) legislation is equally delusional. A Kaiser Family Foundation study indicates that “In 26 states, parents cannot get coverage even if their household income is below the federal poverty level.”
Children don’t just benefit from having insurance themselves, they benefit from having insurance for their entire family. Children who have insured parents are more likely to receive medical care because parents are familiar with the medical system, they know doctors and where they’re located. Children from insured families miss school less because they are not ill as often. Parents with health insurance struggle less with financial matters in general. Whether an employer pays it or the government pays it, families who aren’t devoting 10 or 20 percent of their income to health coverage have fewer financial problems. They can spend their money on basic needs, such as food, shelter and education.
For the children, the country’s 9 million uninsured children, insurance makes sense. Not just for them, but for the whole family.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant moms and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
To assume a child is automatically covered under state programs such as CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Programs) legislation is equally delusional. A Kaiser Family Foundation study indicates that “In 26 states, parents cannot get coverage even if their household income is below the federal poverty level.”
Children don’t just benefit from having insurance themselves, they benefit from having insurance for their entire family. Children who have insured parents are more likely to receive medical care because parents are familiar with the medical system, they know doctors and where they’re located. Children from insured families miss school less because they are not ill as often. Parents with health insurance struggle less with financial matters in general. Whether an employer pays it or the government pays it, families who aren’t devoting 10 or 20 percent of their income to health coverage have fewer financial problems. They can spend their money on basic needs, such as food, shelter and education.
For the children, the country’s 9 million uninsured children, insurance makes sense. Not just for them, but for the whole family.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant moms and their unborn babies,
Advocate Aaron
Who Are the Uninsured?
When you’re waiting in line at the bank, the grocery store, or the gas station, check out the other people in line. In a line of ten people, at least one of them lives without something that many perceive as a fundamental necessity. Health insurance. The National Coalition on Health Care reports over 47 million uninsured Americans, a whopping 16 percent.
But look a little further. Look at the gender. Around 40 percent of low income women are uninsured: minorities, teenagers, single moms. And 20 percent of uninsured Americans are pregnant. Nearly half of the pregnant uninsured work full time and another 28 percent work part time. They’re productive, contributing, tax paying members of the work force. However, low income women tend to have jobs that don’t provide insurance. Society tells them to work; work tells them to pay for their own insurance.
Because programs like Medicaid have wage limits, many pregnant women are ineligible to receive free care, yet most low income women can’t afford to buy insurance on their own. That leaves forty percent of young women, between the ages of 18 and 29 uninsured. What’s bothersome is that The Center for Disease Control reports that half of all babies are born to women in this age group. That’s a lot of babies who are receiving inadequate prenatal care because their moms can’t afford it.
But don’t let statistics depersonalize these women. Go stand in line anywhere and ask yourself “Who are the uninsured?”
They’re standing right next to you.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant moms and their unborn babies.
Advocate Aaron
But look a little further. Look at the gender. Around 40 percent of low income women are uninsured: minorities, teenagers, single moms. And 20 percent of uninsured Americans are pregnant. Nearly half of the pregnant uninsured work full time and another 28 percent work part time. They’re productive, contributing, tax paying members of the work force. However, low income women tend to have jobs that don’t provide insurance. Society tells them to work; work tells them to pay for their own insurance.
Because programs like Medicaid have wage limits, many pregnant women are ineligible to receive free care, yet most low income women can’t afford to buy insurance on their own. That leaves forty percent of young women, between the ages of 18 and 29 uninsured. What’s bothersome is that The Center for Disease Control reports that half of all babies are born to women in this age group. That’s a lot of babies who are receiving inadequate prenatal care because their moms can’t afford it.
But don’t let statistics depersonalize these women. Go stand in line anywhere and ask yourself “Who are the uninsured?”
They’re standing right next to you.
Fighting for the uninsured and underinsured pregnant moms and their unborn babies.
Advocate Aaron
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