GardenMama

"So it's not like you're going down to the free clinic to see Welfare doctors."

Wait. What are Welfare doctors?! Sorry, CO, I can't let this one go.

My RAD daughter's life was saved in a county hospital which actually has one of the best Trauma Units in the country. Lots of poor people's lives are saved there every day. Since I lost my insurance early in the year, I have had to go to "free" neighborhood clinics and received some of the best care ever...Let's be careful, please. All doctors have taken an oath and received lots of intensive education. There are people on public assistance who read this forum(*welfare no longer exists the way it did pre-1996). Your comment read like a blanket insult to me, and others, I would guess.

Yesterday, we had finally been unemployed and uninsured for long enough that we now qualify for insurance through the state. We pay a small premium every month. We have real live insurance cards from a reputable HMO. Today I get to go see a therapist and my husband can finally have a procedure done that has been bothering him for months. I feel grateful and fortunate to be able to get care during this stressful time in our careers and lives.

Sorry to sort of go "off-topic," Kyles. Some of the attitudes and insinuations in a few of the posts on this thread have troubled me. Hit a nerve, I guess.

BeavsDad

Take what you want, leave the rest.

kyles

Well, I guess I have until Friday to decide. My bf will be able to fill out the paperwork on Friday. I'm still leaning toward using his insurance. It'll take a lot for him to be fired. His family is pretty powerful in the company. I know many people won't agree with this, and that's ok. I'm still going to look into other options over the next few days and probably get my parents to help me go over a lot of the stuff.

I had my 28 week appointment today and the baby is measuring big, but thankfully that doesn't mean he/she should come any sooner than planned. Everything looks good, so at least one thing is going smoothly in this mess.

GardenMama

So happy to hear the baby is growing, Kyles. You will make the right decision, and if it is not the right decision at some point, you have good support and a thoughtful demeanor.

Re: my welfare post: I over-reacted a bit today and cleared up a misunderstanding with CynicalOne in a PM. We are in agreement, but you wouldn't know that they way I jumped on it! Just wanted to share that. Always learning...

bluebelle

I'm glad to hear you and the baby are healthy. It's good that you are looking toward the health needs of your baby. How are things going with school? Will you be able to graduate with your class? It sounds like you have great support from your parents. I'm also glad to hear that you are going to your doctor checks.

bluebelle

Regarding the insurance, it wouldn't hurt to look into help available from the state. Can your bf afford the premiums? I'm not trying tone a downer, but you might want to consider a back up plan. Heroin isa very rough drug and has a high relapse rate. My RABF was on a less-strong opiate (Oxys), and still struggles even though he is 2years in recovery. It is a lot of work for the addict. I just think that people should always have a back up plan. You could call and schedule a appointment with a social worker and see what the state offs. A lot of states have programs for children even when their parents don't qualify for health care.

If your parents can afford to help with an insurance plan, then you could have that as your back up. I don't think it ever hurts to be prepared.

kyles

School's going ok. It's hard to stay focused on it, but I'm keeping my grades up as much as I can. I should graduate with my class. I'm due Dec. 23. If the baby comes before winter break, I'll be allowed to complete the work at home. After the new year, I have 2 weeks before I have to return to school. I don't get much of a break. I'm more worried about next semester and how I'm going to manage everything at once.

I'm still going to look into all my options. I haven't made a final decision yet anyway. I'll know what's available and how to apply no matter what decision I make now.

kyles

My bf filled out the forms for his employer's insurance today. There shouldn't be much of a waiting period since he's already employed there. It's a relief to at least have something in place in case something unexpected happens. My dad called around and the baby will not be eligible for Medicaid due to my family's income. If I were emancipated from my parents, it'd be a whole other story. I'm not going to do that. There's also another program that supposedly is sometimes available to people who don't meed Medicaid requirements, but we don't qualify for that either. It seems that if an emergency were to happen and the baby was born early or something, the baby could likely be enrolled in Medicaid temporarily, but it only lasts a few months before they kick you off.

I hope it doesn't come down to it, but my dad says if things fall through we can get a private policy for the baby. I really only need the baby covered until next fall, then I might just go on my school's insurance so I can put the baby on it and won't have to depend on anyone else. That or take out a private policy and pay for it myself.

So, I do have the number of this woman my dad talked to, so I can give her a call and get more info or ask questions when I think of them.

I'm not stupid and I know things might not go perfectly. It's really early in his recovery, I know. He's doing well for now. He's been talking about getting a sponsor a lot lately, so I think he's actually going to seriously do it. He was really against it at first, claiming it wouldn't help him, all of those excuses. I guess he's met other people with sponsors and now he thinks maybe it would be helpful. I'm thankful because he'll confide in someone else instead of everything being shared with me alone.

allforcnm

Thanks for the update. So glad things are looking up for everyone. I know it must feel so much better to have the insurance straightened out. I think your handling everything really well

bluebelle

That's good news. It's good that your father is willing to be the back up plan for insurance. It sounds like you are preparing to take care of your baby's health.