No insurance - any OBGYN to see? (Raleigh: ob-gyn, health insurance)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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My friend in the area just found out she's 5 weeks pregnant. She doesn't have health insurance.
Is there an OBGYN doctor she could see without insurance? Maybe by paying cash?
Just for the first visit.
(Her husband is a full-time student and she can only enroll as his dependent in fall)
She is getting concerned because her sister, who got pregnant about a month earlier, just suffered a miscarriage.
Blessings to those who could provide any info! Thanks!
If their combined income is below 185% of federal poverty level (currently $2,944/month for their family size), then she qualifies for Medicaid for Pregnant Women.
I wondered why she doesn't sign up for Obmacare. No matter what will be a damn sight less expensive than paying out of pocket for a pregnancy and delivery.
At this point, the OB probably won't even see her unless she has had prior issues, and if that's the case, again - $$$. If this is a regular pregnancy, they usually won't see you till 7-8 weeks. There is nothing that can be done at this point to prevent a miscarriage in an otherwise normal healthy woman (italics for the woman about to jump in a say it took her years to get pregnant and many miscarriages and then it was discovered I had a hormonal problem...)
I second signing up for the Affordable Health Care so that she gets covered for the pregnancy. It sounds like there is a good chance for complications and she may need more frequent visits.
Most doctors likely accept full payment in cash for the visit.
She can also check with Planned Parenthood in downtown Raleigh.
PP in Central NC offers pregnancy tests, but they do not offer prenatal care. They will help her find an OB-GYN offering free or low cost care. PP is actually a pretty good option because they will also help her navigate Medicaid enrollment. Chances are, any OB-GYN she sees is going to have her (and help her) enroll in Medicaid. Doctors are not in the business of providing free care when there are other options for payment. If she isn't eligible for his insurance until fall, then she's going to be 8 months pregnant by the time she enrolls in her husband's plan. She needs pre-natal care in the interim.
Medicaid for pregnant women. She will most likely qualify, it's just a matter of going and getting signed up. I'd tell her to do it ASAP as there is a backlog in NC. Insurance through the ACA is not free and prenatal care is usually supplemental and can be quite expensive. Also, if you make under a certain amount in NC, you don't qualify for supplements under the ACA.
If she were my friend or if it were me, I'd do nothing til I was about 8 weeks pg then I'd go for an ultrasound scan. At 5 weeks pg it's not always possible to see anything on a scan so it would not indicate a healthy pregnancy or not. Also there is close to nothing that can be done at that stage of pregnancy to alter the outcome. So not much point spending money to be told nothing much. Better to wait a few weeks then have a scan which will tell if it's a viable pregnancy or not.
I'd take vitamins for pregnant women and stop smoking and drinking alcohol too :-)
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