Insurance

No, I will not use this as a political soap box, just a slight rant about some issues I've recently had with my health insurance. Before I get started, let me say this, I know I am lucky to have health insurance (even luckier that the university absorbs the cost ... except when I want to meet my doc for the first time, or take a good prenatal ... oh wait, we're not there yet).


So let me fill you in ... My husband and I left our friends and family to move to this college town. Although we're within driving distance (~2 hrs.) from our old abode, I made quite the effort to find local doctors (i.e. dentist for both of us, girl doc for me ...). After talking with some grad students, I decided to make an appointment for a "meet and greet" with a local midwife who practices with two OBs. I assumed this would be covered by my health insurance. I mean, I think it is pretty important for you to meet your girl doc before you get down to business. Am I right ladies?! Well here is what happened.


Had a fabulous 20 minute appointment, loved the midwife, we talked about babies and getting pregnant. About two weeks later I received a bill for over $100. I called the doc's office, they said the insurance company wouldn't cover it. So I called the insurance company, they said they don't cover "family planning" appointments. Here is our conversation (roughly):


Lady with insurance company: Well, it looks like this appointment was coded as family planning. Did you talk about and receive a prescription for birth control?


Me: Nope, we were talking about how to make babies


Lady with insurance company: Giggle. Well, maybe they can recode that for you.



Me: Sounds good, thanks!


Well long story short, even with things being recoded, my insurance company still wouldn't cover my meet and greet. Blah.

But here's the slightly ironic part ... this is insurance for students ... wouldn't they want to cover family planning? I mean that's a heck of a lot cheaper than a pregnancy ... just saying.



Ok, so now fast forward. I had a rough first trimester and the only supplement I could keep down was folic acid (and even that wasn't always so great). At my last appointment (~12 wks), my midwife gave me some great prenatal samples that are easier on the tum tum. Of course, the freebies can only last so long, so I called for a Rx. Today I went to pick up this wonderful Rx prenatal and guess what, my insurance company won't cover them.


Guess how much a pack of these wonderful prenatals is without insurance coverage ... $70! When the woman told me this I thought, "for 300 tablets right?!"


Insert dream interruption: "It looks like there are 30 in a pack."


Yeah, I didn't get them. I think I am going to ask the super duper hubs to do some research and figure out what prenatals my insurance will cover.