It's been awhile since my last post and a lot has happened. I have narrowed down my prospective donors (I'll tell you about that tomorrow) and I have had a glitch in health insurance coverage. That's what I'm talking about today.
Yesterday, I got a letter from Geisinger Health insurance denying me coverage because of my Fibromyalgia and my upcoming IVF and Artificial Insemination. Now, I don't receive treatment for my Fibromyalgia. I just live with it. I go to the doctor for it every few years and maybe get some mac-daddy Ibuprofen or some physical therapy - nothing major. As for the IVF & AI, I'm not doing IVF and as for the AI, they don't cover it anyway so what do they care how I get pregnant? Personally, I think this makes me less of a risky insur-ee than if I had told them that I was going to get pregnant by hitting the local bars. AGAIN - BEING RESPONSIBLE. So now I can't have coverage.
I've called a couple of other insurance folks - and we'll see if anyone else will cover me. I'm trying not to panic. I wonder about folks who just get pregnant without health insurance. How do they pay for it all? How do they not wake up in a cold sweat over how vulnerable they are? Does the government take care of it? Apparently, I make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. But I don't make enough to just be able to pay for all of this out of pocket. I mean, a delivery can cost $7,000 to $10,000! Yikes!
So, in the event I can't get other insurance, I've started brainstorming about other ways to do this. I'd appreciate any thoughts you have. Here's what I've come up with so far.....
1. Put an ad on Craigslist looking for a man with health insurance who needs a green card. I'd marry him. He could live in my guest room. He'd put me on his health insurance. He'd get his green card. I wouldn't go so far as to ask for sperm as part of the deal -- unless his name was Sven and he looked - well - like a Sven. (Close your eyes. You see what I mean, right?)
2. When I go into labor, I have a friend drive me to Canada. I can't be more than a few hours away. Since this is my first kid, I'll be in labor for quite awhile, right? They have nationalized health care, right? Those friendly Canadians wouldn't turn me away, eh?
3. Get pregnant here and then move to England for nine months. I'm not sure how I'd pay for this. Maybe I could get a student visa or something. I'll have to check into fellowship programs or something like that.
4. Get pregnant and then quit my job so I qualify for government assistance. OK - I didn't say these were all GOOD ideas.
5. Apply for a job that has come open in Mom and Dad's old office at USDA. The gov. offers pretty good health insurance and I'd get maternity leave. The bad news is that I'd have to work a 40 hour week on a set schedule and drive 40 minutes each way. (The exact opposite of my life now.)
So, those are my ideas for now. If you have any others to offer, please feel free. I'm open to just about anything here!
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I thought of a way...you go back to school for a 2-year degree in basket weaving where they require all students to have health insurance. The school has to cover you and you make sure to pop the baby out sometime over summer break...presto! Baby, health insurance and an unparalleled ability to make baskets =)
ReplyDeleteLookin' out for you,
S.J.E.
You know the govt maternity leave would be unpaid, right? I vote for a fundraiser publicized through viral video...think you can get the cats to sing the milk song??
ReplyDeleteOh and I know I should know these things, but how can denying you your existing health coverage based on your plan to have a child be legal? They had to already know about the fibromyalgia, probably when you signed up for the insurance, right? So the only change is the planned pregnancy?
How are things going? Have you found a dr? It's been so long since an update! Let me know if you go for option 2, i'm always up for a road trip, eh :)
ReplyDelete~