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I have no advice but I literally hate how we have to think about this kind of stuff. I just feel like American healthcare (I’m assuming you’re in America because healthcare here sucks) shouldn’t be this difficult. We pay so much for it and always owe so much. I’m sorry 😢
Would you have a C-section if it saved you thousands?
The question sounds backwards, doesn’t it? 😅
I’m curious what other people would do in this situation or if there are other factors I’m not considering. Here is my situation:
My due date is 3/31. My insurance starts over on 4/1 - new deductible, new out of pocket maximum. Anything that happens after 4/1 is basically going to be all out of pocket again. I’m hoping to have a VBAC with this baby because I’m a good candidate (first baby was breech), I’d like to experience labor and a vaginal delivery, recovery could be better, and we’d like 1-2 more children. However, I obviously can’t guarantee when I’d go into labor and I might not deliver until after 4/1. I also don’t want to induce earlier since there’s a much lower chance of success with VBAC with induction. The alternative is that I could go with a scheduled C-section at 39 weeks and all of the bills would be this insurance year! Barring any complications of course. Therefore, a scheduled C-section has the potential to save me literally thousands of dollars.
What would you do?
Most of me thinks that if I could guarantee a successful VBAC (which of course can’t be guaranteed), then it could be worth the cost. But if the VBAC fails and I need another C-section later when I could have had a much cheaper scheduled one, I could be upset...
Don’t you love insurance?! 😂
Open to all thoughts! Thank you in advance!! 🙂
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So sorry you have to deal with crappy options!! For me I guess it would depend on the deductible, and whether or not we had the cushion to cover it. If you do, I would wait. Another commenter's point about multiple c-sections in the long wrong being costly is a good one. Not to mention the "cost" on your body in terms of recovery and being at a greater risk for complications for any future pregnancies. Plus, even if you do attempt a vbac and end up with a C-section, the act of laboring naturally prior to surgery has been shown to have benefits for the baby. At the end of the day, it is your body, so you get to choose what feels right for you. And yeah, again, I think it's so crappy you have to deal with this!
Si
Thank you for the response! These are all excellent points. And the hospital shouldn’t have done that! The date of service should be the date you were billed for... I’m very surprised you weren’t. My insurance has said that would be the case for this, so that’s reassuring. I work in medicine (but not on the billing side of things) and I know everything from our department is billed as date of service... I’m sorry you went through that!
Ca
One more thing to consider. When I had my December baby, I was technically still within the year and had already reached my deductible, so I thought it was going to be covered (the new year started 1/1 in this case). However, the hospital didn't bill my insurance until January something, and my insurance company considered THAT the date, so I was billed for my entire deductible. I appealed and it was denied, and they told me there wasn't anything I could do. I'm not sure if that was just my bad luck and bad insurance, but just to give perspective that you could do everything "right" and still end up with a bill 😤
Your last section—that if you could guarantee a successful VBAC, it would be worth the cost. I agree there. I would take that chance if it were me. Mostly because my doctor was just warning me about all the increased risks of multiple c-sections. I had one with my first and am praying I can do VBAC this time around so I don’t risk not being able to have more babies in the future. If you are able to have a successful VBAC, that could potentially save you money in the long run if it means you avoid future complications.
Si
That’s true too. Having one or two more vaginal deliveries after this could definitely be cheaper than one to two more C-sections (potentially with complications). Good thought!
Also take into consideration that having more c sections may prevent you from having too many more kids. Not saying it 100% will; but my girlfriend healed so poorly after her 2 c sections that her OB recommended not to have anymore kids for her safetyI would say if you want to have at least 2 more children then the extra money is worth it to try and do the vbac! You can’t put a price tag on your family!
Si
Agreed! Anything can happen! We’re most likely looking at 1 more child, but we haven’t ruled out 2 more. I highly doubt we’d have more than that, but sometimes you can’t predict life. 🙂
My twins were born 12/30 when I could have waited a week longer for this exact reason...insurance starting over...only difference is I was going to need a csection no matter what.
Si
Crazy, isn’t it?? My first son was due 12/26, so he could have easily been born after the new year (my insurance at that time reset on 1/1), but needing the CS pushed him earlier anyway.
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