Pregnant, no insurance, no Medicaid, OBGYN fees are too high! Any advice?

Hi! I am 19 weeks pregnant. I do not work because I already have a son and daycare costs are higher than I used to earn as a full-time licensed social worker. My husband is self-employed and we do alright, but we are not wealthy. We do not have insurance because it is very expensive for those who are self-employed. Besides, if we got insurance now, no company that we've called will cover pregnancy. I did not know I was pregnant until I was 14 weeks along. I called all the doctors in my area and chose the 2nd cheapest. (The cheapest is located in a questionable area.) Since the doctor takes the global fee and divides it by the number of months you have left before delivery, I am paying $675 per visit. This week I have to pay for a $675 check up, a $275 ultrasound, and $420 for blood tests. We have begun the process to apply for Medicaid but the worker told me it does not look good...they consider gross income and not net for people who are self-employed. (I live in Greene County, Ohio.) I have contacted the Health Department but they will only save me about $1200 total and I would have to deliver at a hospital that I do not prefer. We can continue to make the $675 payments each visit, but we are just trying to find a cheaper alternative. I have thought of just using a midwife and no doctor, but there is no option of an epidural this way. (I don't think I want an epidural, but I want the option.) I also want to state that when I was pregnant with my son, we were in almost the same boat...I was employed, and had insurance through my employer until I quit my job in my 9th month. Of course, when I quit my job, I lost my insurance. I worked for a small private homeless shelter, so they were not required to offer COBRA. At that time, I acquired insurance through Cinergy. I paid them over $800 and I got scammed big time. They did not cover one penny of my doctor fees or hospital fees for myself or my son. I just want to make this known in case anyone out there is considering Cinergy. Thank you for reading my enormous story...I appreciate any advice you have to offer! (And just to nip some pessimists in the bud, I was on birth control...so please don't bad-mouth us for getting pregnant without a plan in place. Although this baby is a surprise, we still consider this to be a blessing!!)

3 months ago - 4 answers