What are some cheap ways to have a baby? Usually, beer and pizza for college students.Or wine and Chinese takeout. I said have a baby, not make one. We already
did that. Congratulations! I suppose claiming to be
an illegal immigrant so that the baby is paid for by Medicaid isn't practical.
We're not going to say we're illegal immigrants. You could have a midwife come to the house
and deliver it at home. Cheap, yes. Reasonable, no.
You could go to a birthing center. You'd be
taken care of by a midwife, and you could be evacuated to a hospital if there are complications. How much does that cost? Having a baby at a hospital can cost anywhere
from $5,000 to $20,000. If there are complications, you could hit 80K or more.
But birthing centers are cheaper. They'll typically deliver a baby for less
than 5K. And you might be able to negotiate the bill. What if I have to go to the hospital? If you pay cash, you could pay less than the
cost it would with insurance.
I can't pay cash for childbirth. You could also set up a payment plan. They'll
cut down the price if you can negotiate. Like what? Do I pay less if I skip an epidural
or bring my own towels? If you share a maternity room instead of a
private suite, you'll pay less.
Why did you bring up government benefits? In some places, half of all babies are born
on Medicaid. It's cheaper for you, but only because the rest of us foot the bill. What about Obamacare? Those health plans are
required to have maternity coverage. Yes, they have to have maternity coverage.
But you may end up paying $1,000 a month or 10% of your income for a plan with a 10K deductible.
A 10K deductible is enough to cover a no-complication
delivery. Yeah, to pay that much for insurance and then
have to pay that much for a deducible, it's enough to give you a heart attack. Or put you in early labor. If you want the really cheap way, have hubby
deliver it on the side of the road and show up at the hospital with the baby in tow.
While I want the world to know about the baby
when he's born, the evening news isn't how we want to spread the word..