Help about baby cost

[Z_Hazeleyes]

Hi, right now my Husband and I are living in the Kurdistan area of Iraq and I'm about 14 weeks along at the moment.

Having a baby here is rediculously cheap, I asked him about it the other night. It's about $4 for a checkup with the pregnancy doctor (includes sonogram and blood pressure check) plus a dollar or two if she gives me pills to take home. If we are still here when the baby comes it will cost about $20 to have the baby in a hospital in one of the large cities (the safe ones are about 2 or 3 hours away, we are NOT going to Mosul even tho it's closer.)

We want to get home before the baby is born. Home is with my Mom in Kentucky, USA. But when we get there my sweet husband won't have work right away and we'll have no savings, insurance, or anything. I'm thinking we'd end up going to the ER (either in Cincinatti or Florence, KY) to have the baby because of the no income/no insurance thing.

Any suggestions if we manage to get to the states before the kid comes?

 

[Samantha675]

Can you look into Medicad or something along those lines? I don't know what you husband is doing in Iraq or yourself, work wise, but if you are working does the company provide any kind of insurance? If they do you can then look at COBRA for when the insurance stops, it extends your insurance coverage, I think.

 

[maybebaby]

If your husband does have health insurance through his current employer (if a USA company), he would have the right to continue the insurance under COBRA for an 18 month period. COBRA can be expensive, as you would be responsible for 100% of the premium, and possibly a 2% surcharge for administration. There are some private "temporary" policies you could look into, for instance Blue Cross Blue Shield offers one (you can go to www.bcbs.com to look at policies in Kentucky), but I am not sure if pregnancy is excluded as a pre-existing condition.

Can you tell I work in Human Resources?? If I can help let me know

 

[katek]

I know when I lived in Florida there were several hospitals that would work out payment plans. As long as they are not a privately operated hosp I believe they have to work with you. The health dept in some ares can at least do prenatal cehckups etc. Have your mom start checking what kind of aid is available now. Just call and explain situation.