7 Creative Ways to Pay Your Midwife

When a new baby is on the way, we all hope and pray for the health and well-being of both mom and baby. Studies, like this one from the Burke Foundation, show that your best chance at achieving those 2 goals is having a Midwife provide your care.

Midwife-led births are associated with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding and vaginal births — and lower rates of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity

Sadly, many families believe that they must choose an in-network provider and birth place to have their birth costs covered. This is not entirely true. Often, families incur large bills even when they stay with in-network providers and hospitals and may not receive the care they desire and deserve.  We encourage you to take a good look at your insurance benefits and determine what your insurance should cover both in and out of network. Do not rule out out-of-network providers without thoroughly investigating to what you are entitled and the many other ways OON can be affordable. A common misconception is that Midwives do not take insurance – this is not true, many are just out-of-network. Here is a post on insurance that the Midwives of NJ accept.

Why are so many private Midwifery practices  Out-of-Network?

Midwives, like most specialists are forced to go out-of-network in order to provide the highest quality care. They see fewer clients, provide longer office visits and and create an individual plan with each client.  When a Midwifery practice is in-network with insurance providers, they must accept the in-network payment as payment in full. The in-network amount paid for the global maternity fee (prenatal care, birth and postpartum care) has not increased in over 30 years. This makes it nearly impossible for Midwives to keep their doors open.

Consider these 7 Creative Ways to Pay for Your Birth of Choice

1. Ask Your Employer to Cover Your Deductible.  Many employers understandably choose insurance plans with high deductibles in order to save on the high cost of insurance.  It doesn’t hurt to ask if they might be willing to cover your deductible this year for your birth. 
2. Pay your balance through CareCredit. CareCredit is a credit card specifically designed to conveniently make monthly payments for your healthcare and wellness needs.
3. Take part in an HSA. Many companies offer health savings accounts (HSA’s) – this is a great way to put pre-tax income aside to pay for your deductible.
4. Ramp up your Nesting!  During pregnancy, nesting – the urge to clean and organize -can work to your advantage.  While your cleaning up and cleaning out – consider listing items for sale online and use toward paying for your birth.
5. Add to your registry. Consider adding Midwifery costs to your baby registry. It’s not at all unusual these days to add pregnancy or postpartum expenses to a baby registry – after all it is one of the most important aspects of mom and baby’s health! Be sure to specify what the funds will be used for and use them for that purpose.
6. Ask about payment plans. Midwives tend to be flexible in working out payment plans according to individual needs.
7. Consider a Health Share. Because a group of people are sharing the costs of care for all members, they are often very receptive to homebirth because there is no facility fee!

Investigate Health Insurance Plans during Open Enrollment

The road of least resistance is always best!! While not a “creative way” the simplest way to ensure your birth will be covered is to choose an Insurance Plan with Good Out-of-Network Coverage.  As you think about selecting your health care plan during open enrollment, it is important for women of childbearing age to investigate how or whether their health insurance providers will cover the type of health care they desire, such as midwifery care.  Look for a plan that offers good out-of-network coverage so you will have a better chance of having most of the cost covered.  Pay attention to deductibles – you need to reach your deductible before your insurance kicks in.

We believe Midwives are worth every penny! But we also believe your insurance should pay, not young families. The Midwives of NJ work with you and your insurance to receive the best possible payment so our clients have the lowest possible out of pocket costs. We are investing in our future when we invest in birth. Let’s do it!

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