As I go along more advice for our pregnant mamas to be!!!

[mama2be]

I had mentioned the taking the phone off the hook with a long detailed message before...

Now I have two other things that just occured to me as I am being highly inconvienced by our hospital.

I did everything I should by pre registering at the hospital. Even then I got atleast 3 notes in the mail asking for my insurance info, I was livid it was just another thing "to do" when I went out of my way to do it the first time.

You'll find after the fact that you will be billed by everyone, and some parts will be billed by their own group for example anesthesia (usually radiologist and ER docs are the same way). Well for some reason many of these groups won't have your insurance info so they bill you right out for the whole amount and leave it to you to send them the info after the fact (actually I know why they don't have it from working in a hospital it involves them pulling a sheet of paper out of your chart with your registration info on it....if they don't then they don't have your info). SO MY ADVICE, before you go into labor get copies of your insurance card and your drivers license, multiple copies and keep them somewhere (like a file cabinet) so if this happens you have a quick way to just nip it in the bud and send the info needed.

ALSO I have complained and complained about the kind of bed I was put in after labor when they transferred me out of my room and I so wish I had lined up another bed for us. BUT I highly recommend that you ask ahead that you not be put in one of these Hil Rom beds that adjust to your every move unless you are in a coma!!!!! I was told in the hospital that they could not be unplugged and since have been told that this is not true so you might want to check. BUT there is nothing that disturbed my experience more than that bed.

Just wanted to share this...

[flagger]

Great idea Neve.

I just want to add be sure and make a copy of the front AND back of your insurance card. Many need that address on the back of some cards because the big insurance companies have multiple addresses based on your group or coverage. We have Aetna and have been through at least five different addresses on different cards.

I won't apologise for it, but I can give some insight having worked in registrations at a hospital in Concord, MA. The docs, anesthesiologists (sp?), etc. are like contract labor with the hospital. Sometimes but more often not their system does not talk to the hospital's system. So they need that info as well.

Also it is good to have an advocate sort of keeping a running track of everything used during the procedure. (I am surprised you don't get billed for each individual kleenex!) The instances of errors in hospital bills is pretty astronomical. I knew of some parents that were billed for circumcisions for their daughters!!! It is still humans doing the data entry and one wrong letter or number typed off your insurance card can mean a mountain of paperwork to fix THEIR mistake.

[loewymartin]

I'm one of those people that got billed for a circumcision on my daughter. I got quite a giggle out of it...I called my insurance company and told them not to pay for that portion! I actually have to say, other than that, I didn't have a problem with bills. We pre-registered, and had about 15 additional forms to sign when we "checked in" (yeah, right with a labor that lasted less than 3 hours once I got to the hospital, the last thing I wanted to do was sign a form :-)). But, after that, we paid our co-pay as we left and that was it (other than in reviewing the final bill that was sent to our insurance company I noticed the circumcision). I have to say, all in all, that part was a pleasant experience :-)


Michelle - Mom to Alia Jailin born 5/16/02

[stillplayswithbarbies]

The advice that I have is to be sure and print neatly when you fill out the forms for the birth certificate. I just spent hours yesterday at the Town Clerk's office of the town we live in and the city she was born in trying to correct a typo. Don't assume that human beings work there and will take your correction over the phone, assume you are dealing with robots who cannot make a common sense decision on their own. I had to take my birth certificate in to prove how my maiden name is spelled. As if I would misspell my own name! You would think they could look at the original form and say "oh yes I can see how the typist thought that 'b' was an 'h', I'll just correct that for you". Nope.

...Karen
Jake age 12
Logan Elizabeth 3/25/03

[mharling]

I'll throw in my 2 cents too.

Do not be afraid to ask the various people that need to come by your room to come back later!!!

I was completely unprepared for the number of people that would be in and out of the room. Granted, some things probably do need to be taken care more urgently than others, but I think some can wait if you want them to. I wouldn't have asked the lactation consultant to leave and come back, but I asked birth certificate lady looking for the paperwork (that I hadn't had a chance to fill out yet and I was still going to be there another day) to come back in a couple hours.

The sheer number of people in and out was overwhelming. Even the simple, fun things like floral deliveries added to the chaos (too bad the flowers couldn't get in there on their own :)). It all got very dizzying!

Mary
Mommy to Lane Michael 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b33928e40550