Home Birth?

*Brace yourself, this post is going to have a negative tone*

Due to an email from my Human Resources department yesterday, I'm now considering having a home birth. My health insurance changed from a copay per day while in the hospital, to a copay per day while in the hospital plus %20 percent of hospital and doctor's costs.

Therefor where the costs associated with delivering Betsy at our fabulous hospital was $200, this time it's going to be $300 plus up to $2,000 in hospital fees. The GOOD news is the coinsurance limit is $2,000 so even if I have to go BACK to the hospital for some reason, once we reach that limit we're done paying. The BAD news is that the coinsurance runs per calendar year. I will likely deliver in December, reach the deductible, and start a new calendar year a month later.

FYI, I'm not REALLY thinking about a home birth, that was a joke. I loved the hospital staff, modern technology and epidural way too much to even try it!

However I am disappointed in these changes. The perks for working in education are diminishing as a type. I know I'm blessed to have a job that makes health insurance available to me (though I do pay a portion for my insurance) it's just starting to feel like with the push for 'health care for all' or socialized health care, those people who DO have a job and who DO pay for insurance are getting the shaft, and the backlash is that our benefits are diminishing.

I'll also qualify this blog post by saying I know we can save and afford this, but when I met with the financial counselor at the hospital before having my first appointment (a required part of the maternity care process through our health care provider) I was told the out of pocket cost would be $200 per day for baby and I, period. It's a shock to hear differently now.


On a HAPPY note, I dreamed last night that we're having a girl, and the baby is a Cabbage Patch Kid. I'm not sure how reliable that intuition of mine is, I would say my first baby more closely resembles a Precious Moment's Baby than a Cabbage Patch Kid.

*vent over*

Have a Happy Wednesday yall!