Having a baby is expensive, but how much does it really cost? Even with insurance supporting you, there can be a number of surprising costs. So how can parents to be plan for the bill?
In today’s episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies I speak to naturopathic doctor Dr. Ashley Burkman whose personal experiences navigating health care costs have led her to speak on the topic of health care costs. Dr. Burkman discusses understanding what is covered by insurance (and how to figure this out), the No Surprises Act, deductibles, lowering the cost of birth, what to do if you don’t have insurance, and how to deal with medical bills.
New parents shouldn’t be surprised by a big bill from birth. This conversation will help you figure out how to estimate costs so that your early days as a parent aren’t overshadowed by bills.
In this episode you will learn:
- Learn about Dr. Burkman and how she became passionate about helping parents decipher the complications of maternity medical costs.
- How much does the average hospital uncomplicated vaginal birth cost?
- How much does an average cesarean cost?
- Average birth center cost?
- Average home birth cost?
- Where to start when you’re trying to figure out how much you’ll be financially responsible for?
- Is it possible for insurance companies to lay out the overall cost for prenatal visits, prenatal tests, the birth, postpartum stay?
- If your provider is out of network, does the insurance company cover any of that cost?
- The best way to make sure ALL the doctors someone may encounter are covered by your insurance?
- The difference between individual and family deductibles?
- What happens after someone meets their deductible.
- After baby is born, the window to add baby to the insurance plan.
- Choosing a new insurance plan, what to look for when shopping for a new family insurance plan.
- How long people are tied into a plan. When you might be able to adjust if you realize the plan is not the best fit.
- Options for uninsured parents to be.
- Negotiating medical bills and payment plans.
- What you can do to help keep the costs of birth lower.
- Unexpected costs expectant parents should be prepared for.
- What we need to know about care and medical cost for newborns.
- A tip for new or expectant parents.
- Where you can find Dr. Burkman’s work.
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About Dr. Burkman:
Dr. Ashley Burkman is a naturopathic doctor with 10 years of practice experience. This combined with her personal experience navigating health care costs has led her to speak on this topic in the hopes others can find useful advice. While she sees a variety of patients with a range of health concerns, she has a passion for nutritional medicine, autoimmune diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.
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