Hi all!
So I'm in a bit of a bind and would love any advice you can offer. Thanks in advance!
The situation:
-40yr old, very healthy, husband and I have zero debt (at the moment)
-Due to my luckily excellent health, I've always erred on getting the cheapest BCBS plan offered through my union
-Currently 29 weeks pregnant. We thought we were infertile, so this came as a major surprise and I did not plan my health insurance in advance accordingly, which has been really sucking now that the bills are coming in
-Husband has good job, I work freelance in film and will be on unemployment when current job ends until I can figure out next step (it's complicated - my house is 3 hours from where I work)
Health insurance plan:
-$3000 deductible
-$3000-$6500, insurance pays half, above that, insurance pays 100%
-talked to BCBS and they said they do NOT cover any anesthesia because they are always out of network
-Thus far, I've met $1900 of deductible
-Will be delivering in smaller town in Louisiana
-Mama and baby super healthy and doing great so far - mom would really like to get some physical therapy though for aches and pains but has been holding off due to cost
So thus far, my health insurance has paid nothing towards this pregnancy. I won't get started on how infuriating the American health care system is, considering I've been paying thousands of dollars into it for decades while never using it.
My question is, is there anything I can do to work the system and make this delivery more economical or am I just screwed and it's going to cost what it costs and there's nothing I can do but maybe ask for a discount from the hospital? I've considered going without anesthesia (please god no), I can't use a midwife because I'm high risk, is there anything else through the hospital perhaps I should be checking into?
Thanks!