If you couldn’t tell, yesterday was “Blair Freaks Out Like an Over-emotional & Over-indulged Stereotypical Pregnant Chick” Day.
Glorious.
I suppose we’re all entitled to at least ONE day in these mind-numbing 40 weeks of pregnancy, and personally, I’d like to keep it at just one. As for the NT scan results, I have finally simmered the eff down, so many thanks to those who left encouraging comments & emails.
To try & break down the insurance debacle into a more coherent structure, here are the situation’s fine points:
- My understanding regarding my insurance was that all maternity costs, labor & delivery, hospital charges for baby, etc would all be lumped under “general insurance” & my regular out-of-pocket max & fees.
- Nate has good private insurance through his company. I am not on his insurance because it would cost roughly $450/month to insure me privately, due to maternity, asthma, & my heart condition.
- My understanding was completely wrong — since I have ZERO maternity benefits (that’s right, NONE) then HJ is not automatically covered by my policy. The moment I push HJ out of my vag or the doc lifts him/her out via uterine sunroof, HJ must have his/her own policy. My insurance will cover no nursery costs, pediatrician visits, hospital costs, etc.
- I learned yesterday that to add HJ to my insurance policy, my costs will soar $240 per month, meaning that we will pay almost $300/month to insure me & HJ. We will also have a $6,000 out-of-pocket max to reach.
So freak-out ensued. I called Nate in a panic on his office phone, which generally signifies EMERGENCY-OH-MY-GOD-HUSBAND-ANSWER-YOUR-DAMN-PHONE-NOW. I’m sure you all understand having a wee code between spouses that signifies the world is coming to an end, right? Nate, being the beloved husband he is, called me “sweetie” and said he’d talk to his insurance guy the moment I could pull my shit together & stop hyperventilating into his ear. & he found out this:
- His insurance, of course, refuses to cover me now that I am knocked up. So I must stick with my current insurance.
- His insurance guy basically blows Nate off without giving him a quote & after Nate pressed him, said that $300/month sounded about right.
- I’m pretty sure my husband used genteel Southern graces to display his distaste with the insurance guy’s laziness. Or at least, used some of my favorite 4-letter words.
- So said asshole insurance guy is visiting Nate today to give him a quote to add HJ to his policy after birth.
Now MASSIVE freak-out occurred, where I sobbed in my car & then ran home to stuff my face with a half-pint of Heath Bar ice cream (which, by the way, is incredibly tasty & highly recommended). While I hoarded Heath Bar chips in my cheeks like a chipmunk, Nate & I sat down & discussed our options:
- We add HJ to my policy, meaning hospital charges will definitely be covered. While we are prepared to pay the 6K out-of-pocket max if need be, the monthly cost is daunting. But we can swing it, providing my car keeps trucking.
- We take the risk of HJ being healthy & purchase private insurance that will cover HJ 30 days after birth. After brief discussion, this is a huge risk that we’re not willing to take since it would mean HJ is uncovered for the first 30 days of life.
- Nate’s company offers a policy that will insure HJ from the moment s/he is born, that is less than my insurance’s option.
Obviously, we are praying for #3. If #3 does not pan out, we will choose #1 & simply work room into the budget for the costs. Hopefully Nate will have a quote tonight & we can make a decision quickly & prepare for it. I know it will all work out in the end, but right now, I pretty much feel like a hamster on a wheel & it’s hard to function through the hormonal panic. I feel like I’m missing some important piece, or doing something wrong…maybe one of you can find something amiss about what I have outlined?
oh, and p.s. Target brand granola bars are far too chewy. Like they sat in a vat of lard or water or something equally not tasty.
