Hi, everyone. This is going to be the most personal post I've ever written on this board, but I really need advice and thought you all might be able to help me.
First, I live in Mexico, and have lived here for a few years. My husband and I began the immigration process to move to the US last year in May. We haven't heard from immigration since August, but could get his visa at any time (in other words, it could be tomorrow, it could be in a month, it could be in 5 months, it could be a year, it could be never). We would have 6 months from the time that the visa is issued to move.
On the other hand, lately I've been thinking that I want to have a baby. My husband and I talked about it, and even though it isn't the best time (with this uncertain future ahead of us), we've been putting it off now for about 4 years. We're not getting any younger (I'm almost 30), and it seems like it's NEVER a good time - there's always something uncertain in our lives. Also, putting our lives on hold for US immigration seems crazy, now that we're beginning to realize that there are no guarantees about how or when that will happen. So finally, we just decided that we're going to throw our fate to the winds - in other words, we're not preventing pregnancy anymore. We just decided that although it would be hard to be pregnant and moving at the same time, we'll manage - and that is if we end up moving after all, which we may not, and that is if Immigration gives him his visa during the time I'm pregnant, which it may not (and of course, I might not even get pregnant right away, so this is a whole lot of ifs!).
However, today it occurred to me that if I get pregnant, I am insured for the costs of pregnancy and childbirth in Mexico. (Before any of you who don't know Mexico well freak out, I have good insurance for care at private hospitals, which are good in Mexico. It's the public ones that are kind of iffy). Anyway, it occured to me that if we move while I'm pregnant, I wouldn't have insurance to have a baby in the US. I suppose I could stay in Mexico to have the baby (since I'm an American citizen, it's only my husband who would have to abide by the YOU-MUST-MOVE-TO-THE-US-WITHIN-6-MONTHS rule), but I don't like the idea of being alone while going through that.
I'm not quite sure how to word my question, but basically I'm trying to figure out if I were to get pregnant and we were to move to the US while I'm pregnant, how much of a financial blow will it be for us, considering that I don't have American insurance? I assume that I can't buy insurance that would cover the costs of pregnancy and childbirth while I'm pregnant? Should I start preventing pregnancy again and buy insurance now for the US? Can you do that? I honestly know next to nothing about American insurance policies - I've spent most of my adult life in Mexico. I also know next to nothing about the costs of pregnancy and childbirth.
Any advice would be appreciated!
Posts: 2241 | Location: In between | Registered: 06-03-02
Contact the US Consulate, they may very well have specific answers for you and part of their job is to make life simpler for US citizens abroad and to ease the complications of returning to the States.
Posts: 2251 | Location: Western United States | Registered: 06-03-02
Mrs.S- thanks for your response. I'm not sure about contacting the U.S. consulate, although I can see why you suggested it. In my experience the consulate is not very well organized or helpful. Perhaps if I lost a passport or something they would be helpful, but I think that issues about insurance and costs of childbirth are not their line of interest. Because of this immigration process, I have been dealing with the consulate for over a year. I find that getting straight answers to even basic immigration questions is almost impossible.
My questions are not really immigration questions, but are more just basic insurance questions. Basically:
1. What does pregnancy and childbirth typically cost without insurance in the US? 2. Is it possible to buy insurance that covers or partly covers pregnancy and childbirth in the US when one is already pregnant, or should I start looking into it now to make sure I've bought insurance before I get pregnant? 3. Here in Mexico, I had to have my insurance for 2 years before pregnancy and childbirth would be covered. Is it generally the same in the US?
Posts: 2241 | Location: In between | Registered: 06-03-02
The only question there I can answer is the last one...typically, in the US, you must have insurance for 6 to 9 months (depending on the carrier)prior to maternity benefits being available. Your current carrier may know of a company in the US that would permit your coverage to simply transfer when you move back to the States
If you should become pregnant before your maternity benefits are available, for pre-natal care, most communities have EXCELLENT "Well Baby" programs that provide the checkups at very little cost (they also offer routine checkups and imunization through the first 2 years of the baby's life)...your biggest prenatal expense would probably be a sonogram, unless there were complications.
I wish I could be more help.
Posts: 2251 | Location: Western United States | Registered: 06-03-02
Originally posted by MrsS: Your current carrier may know of a company in the US that would permit your coverage to simply transfer when you move back to the States
Thanks, Mrs.S. This is a great idea! I'll give my current insurance company a call to see if they can help me out. It seems so obvious I can't believe I didn't think of it myself.
quote:
I wish I could be more help.
I appreciate it! I thought your answers were very helpful. Thanks!
Posts: 2241 | Location: In between | Registered: 06-03-02
*According to the Health Insurance Association of America, the average bill for doctor fees and hospital charges runs around $6,400 for a normal delivery and roughly $10,600 for a cesarean section. This does not count prenatal doctor visits or tests. This is why insurance is very important, so make sure to do your best to get covered somehow.
Once you move to the US you should be entitled to Medicaid that will cover the cost of the pregnancy. Medicaid is for people with low incomes or those who do not have health insurance. There are also WIC (Women, Infant and Children) programs to help you. I know someone who made over $45,000 per year and still qualified for WIC. While many people do not qualify for food stamps or "welfare" checks, they do qualify for the insurance. I suggest calling the Department of Health/Social Services where you will be moving and they will be able to answer your questions.
Hi, Sarai. Congratulations to you and your husband. My husband and I are going through the same thing and it is very difficult for us as my husband not as far along in the residency process as your husband is and we are having trouble getting the police clearance from Mexico DF where my husband studied at the University there almost 50 years ago.
I don't know if you are your husband's sponsor or not, but if you are, I understand that one must be very careful about using any kind of public aid services in the U.S. The INS takes a very dim view of immigrants and/or their sponsors becoming public charges or using any welfare-type services of any kind that are based on low income.
If you become pregnant, is there any possibility that you could stay with your mother-in-law or some of his family in Mexico until the baby is born? I think that is the best solution. Otherwise, put it off until you have adecuate insurance in the U.S.
DD
Posts: 1033 | Location: The River | Registered: 07-04-02
Hi, Doña Diana. Thanks for your advice. I agree that using public services wouldn't be the best option (but thanks anyway for the info, Clarebear! ), although a little investigation suggests to me that I could qualify for medicaid as long as my husband isn't on it. However, I'd prefer not to go that route and am not even sure that I could qualify, since my husband and I are not below the US poverty level.
I'm thinking that I'm going to do my best to stay here and have the baby in Mexico - hoping that we won't have to immigrate before then. I could stay with family here while my husband moves to the US, but the idea of going through my first pregnancy without my husband is pretty scary to me, although it may be the only option (short of putting off pregnancy for an indeterminate amount of time, which I really don't want to do. I just don't want to live by the completely unpredictable whims of US Immigration services, and don't want to regret giving up my prime childbearing years for it).
The other thing I'm looking into is something called the maternity card, which is not insurance but apparently cuts maternity costs significantly. That might be a workable option for us, since no matter what happens, I would most likely get most of my prenatal care in Mexico (where I have insurance), so I would only have to pay for the childbirth itself. The maternity card could make it doable. Have any of you heard of maternity card? What have you heard about it?
By the way, DD- we don't live close to DF, but if there's anything we can do to help you speed up the police clearance, send me an email. We'd be happy to help. Good luck!
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sarai,
Posts: 2241 | Location: In between | Registered: 06-03-02
