I don't quite understand...

[poppy]

Yep, in the Uk, most people only get two scans (some busy places, you only get the one!) - usually at 12 weeks (dating scan) and 20 weeks (anomaly scan). Some people get additional ones if they have been having problems, like bleeding or an issue has been picked up - oh and also if you are having multiples.

I think the difference between the UK and USA is that we have the National Health Service which is free (well, paid for by taxes), so that everyone gets the same level of treatment (in theory anyway - there is a bit of debate about varying care from area to area) but you don't have to pay for it. The down side is that for things that are not considered essential, like having scans when you want it, are not available on the NHS and you have to go for private scans which can be extremely expensive and not always available in every area.

In the USA, you have to pay for health insurance don't you? So, I suppose, you can get more things. The downside being that there is a big variation on the health care level that people receive as some cannot afford health care insurance.

Overall, even though we can't ask for as many scans as we like, I am quite pleased with the UK system as it means that everyone can get the same level of treatment when they are pregnant and if you want extra things like 3D scans, then it is a personal choice which you can pay for.

xxx

 

[shaunanicole]

Yeah, in the USA we have to pay for our own insurance unless you are disabled or elderly or you have a baby and you can't afford to pay for insurance for your child (they will give you free insurance but only for a limited time). Anyways, here in the USA when people have free insurance (in FL that is called medicaid) they are treated horribly. They get the worst of the worst care and their always put last on the list. Thankfully I have good insurance and don't have to mess with any of that.

So far I have came up with in other countries they handle pregnancies differently and it also depends on whether your able to dish out the money or not. It's the same in the USA. Young women who go on medicaid are only limited to so many scans, I just looked it up online. So really it comes down to if you have the money to pay for the scans or personal insurance to cover the costs.

 

[mrso]

Yeah, in the USA we have to pay for our own insurance unless you are disabled or elderly or you have a baby and you can't afford to pay for insurance for your child (they will give you free insurance but only for a limited time). Anyways, here in the USA when people have free insurance (in FL that is called medicaid) they are treated horribly. They get the worst of the worst care and their always put last on the list. Thankfully I have good insurance and don't have to mess with any of that.

So far I have came up with in other countries they handle pregnancies differently and it also depends on whether your able to dish out the money or not. It's the same in the USA. Young women who go on medicaid are only limited to so many scans, I just looked it up online. So really it comes down to if you have the money to pay for the scans or personal insurance to cover the costs.

Insurance is something that you pay for yourself. If you are lucky then the company you work for will pay some or all of the insurance premiums. OUr family insurance costs $950 a month. Luckly my husbands company pays 100% of the insurance premiums. We have very very good insurance.

Insurance premiums also depend on a few things....
1. if you obtain insurance on your own (not in a group) then you will pay a ton more.
2. If you are on a group policy (ie husbands work, or large companies who have thousand of employees) then premiums and coverage is much better.

Insurance does not guarantee that they will cover anything either. You always have a deductable and copay. Deductable is the amount of $$ you have to pay every year prior to receiving benifit on your insurance. After you meet your deductable (mine is $500) then the insurance company will pay 80% of all charges. I have to pay the remainder 20%. Also insurance companies mandate what they see as customary fees so if your doctor charges $90 for a service that all the other doctors charge $50 for then you have to pay the extra $40. Pretty irritating because you never know who charges what.

Medicaid/Medicare may be free to the person receiving it but I assure you the taxpayer does pay for it. In the state that I live - Children under the age of 19 who get pregnant are covered by title 19 (medicare). If you are older then that you have to qualify for medicare it isnt just given to you. If a family is unable to pay for things for their children then they will can qualify and be granted WIC money (basically foodstamps). WIC covers food for children under the age of 18.

Also doctors have the right to turn away people who are on goverment aide. When I worked at the dental office, we only accepted 2 title 19 cases a month. There are so many of them and the govenment pays really crappy here.

Just a little FYI.

 

[mrso]

and just to add most insurance companies only cover 2 ultrasounds during pregnancy.

During my first pregnancy my 9 week and 20 week ultrasounds were covered by insurance. I had to pay for the 2 additional ones I had to have at $400 a piece. Also prior to giving birth they give you an ultrasound that was not covered either and that cost $98. They require it to see if baby is breech.

My SIL was pregger at the same time (she has better insurance then I do). She delayed her appointments and had ultrasounds done at 16 weeks and 20 weeks and only one was covered by insurance.

It all depends on your policy and the company who carries your insurance.

 

[letia659]

yeah insurance has to be the reason for us getting as many scans. I figure my doc office knows with my insurance they prolly want me to have more scans as its more money in their pockets. I have good insurance with no copay and they pay 80% and we pay 20% but their is a deductible of I think $500 and it still gets expensive they take about $90 out of every paycheck my husband gets and I was already told that I would need to pay $75 at every appt to have my doctors office paid off by delivery of my child. that does not include all those scans as I figure it to be about $20 a scan that I have to pay after insurance. then there is the hospital costs that get into a few thousand dollars for us as it is extremely expensive! I think when my son was born we paid the hospital alone about $5,000 but also my son was in the hospital extra long due to jaundice is probably the reason for the large amount paid to them but still very expensive. and yes it does go by how your office files it to the insurance and then bills you because I know this dr office is filing things differently than the one in Alabama did where I had my son due to us not having to pay as much this time around. its very crazy and I hate dealing with the insurance but its the only way we can do it in the US...

 

[Jolinar]

It's called social medicine here in the UK.

I know we moan about it but the reality is most countries do envy our NHS.

 

[shaunanicole]

The insurance I have is covered by my stepfathers company. Well actually he goes through that but pays a certain amount a month. Our deductible is 400 dollars and the same goes, they pay 80% and we pay 20%. Either way my sister had the same insurance at the time she got pregnant. With my stepdad's policy we can stay on the plan as long as we are in school (she was in college). She went into about 6 or 7 scans because she is a very paranoid person. I don't know about it being $400 to go to an ultrasound after the first 2. I didn't pay a dime when I went in for my ultrasound, unless they are going to send me a nice fat bill.

 

[gracegrace]

Aside from cost/funding issues, there's a real debate in the UK about the actual value of ultrasound scanning. Many professionals and pregnant women consider them unhelpful, unnecessary and not very reassuring...

 

[letia659]

shaunanicole,

I dont pay when I go in either but I do get the bill after it has been filed through insurance and after what the insurance pays I usually have to pay about $23 a scan. so you just might get a bill unless your dr office files it differently somehow. thats just how it works with my dr office and my insurance and thats why I dont mind paying that amount to see my lil bean! but my insurance pays on all ultrasounds so there are none that are $400 or anything like that. you always end up paying the 20% though...

 

[scottishgal89]

yeah i think there are a lot of big differences between the us and uk.
we dont get very many scans and due to there being waiting lists sometimes we need to wait ages.

 

[mrso]

shaunanicole,

I dont pay when I go in either but I do get the bill after it has been filed through insurance and after what the insurance pays I usually have to pay about $23 a scan. so you just might get a bill unless your dr office files it differently somehow. thats just how it works with my dr office and my insurance and thats why I dont mind paying that amount to see my lil bean! but my insurance pays on all ultrasounds so there are none that are $400 or anything like that. you always end up paying the 20% though...

My insurance policy had declared it unnecessary to have more then 2 during pregnancy and my doctor uses a 4D machine so that is why they are so much more money. They always file with insurance but I always end up paying for the additional ones.

WIth my OBGYN we have the option of payments during pregnancy or getting a 10% discount if we pay everything up front. I paid up front last time and plan on doing the same this time. During my last pregnancy I had to pay deducatables for both 2005 and 2006. That alone was $1000. Then the doctor costs on top of that were 450. Luckly this time my deducable is met and I will have the baby in November. I am anticipating only to have to pay $500-600. When the ultrasounds come around I will pay at the time of service for my discount.

I would be so pleased if I only had to pay $23 for each. I am so jealous.

After the delivery we paid the hospital 1200 for my son (20%) and my portion was about 2500.

 

[poppy]

yeah i think there are a lot of big differences between the us and uk.
we dont get very many scans and due to there being waiting lists sometimes we need to wait ages.

But on the NHS it is free and everyone is entitled to it. I think that is a good compromise to make for having to wait a couple of weeks. Also, if you do have a problem, they make every effort to fit you in to scan you. I had my two regular scans on the NHS and two additonal scans on the NHS (first one was for some brown blood discharge at 6/7 weeks and the other was at 17 weeks when I had a lot of watery, clear discharge and thought it might be leaking amniotic fluid - luckily it wasn't). For the first additional scan, they got me in on two days notice and the second, they managed to scan me there and then. I think that is pretty good service.

 

[jlon]

I'm 8 weeks pregnant. Went to the doctors 3 weeks ago, who did nothing bar give me a little book of information, most of which I already know. Don't even have a scan date yet but it won't be for at least another 4 weeks. I don't feel pregnant at all so half the time, I don't beleive that I am. I just want proof from someone, but there is nothing I can do!!

 

[AP]

if we were allowed to do that in the UK, the heathcare service would be pushed to the extreme - it already is at the moment!

 

[sun]

Here in Canada I could ask for a scan whenever but they feel that getting many scans are unneccessary and I agree, so I am not getting one until 12 weeks. I contemplated getting one at 8-9 weeks, but it won't tell me anything more and I think it is unlikely that I would worry less overall!! Health care here is also universal and free and everyone is entitled to it - so I agree poppy - it is worth a bit of a wait.

 

[aidensxmomma]

I live in Wisconsin and go to a doctor that's in Michigan (I live right on the border). At my OBGYN every woman only gets two scans, unless bleeding, multiples, etc. occurs. It's usually for 12 weeks and 20 weeks. I never actually realized some doctors do more ultrasounds for normal low-risk women. I have doctor appointments once every four weeks until 30 weeks, then I have them every two weeks until 36 or 38 weeks, and then it's once a week. At least I think. I'd have to dig out all my paperwork to make sure, and I'm too lazy. lol. Also, my doctor office doesn't schedule any prenatal appointments for any patients until 8 weeks. It's actually really interesting to see all the differences though.