Insurance :/

We all know health care is ridiculously expensive. If you are fortunate enough to have insurance, good for you! I took this for granted for too long. And then I was laid off of my job, and a year later, pregnant. Joy! There is help out there though, so don't despair if you are not one of the lucky ones. Check into your State's programs. It's not a hand out! They use your income to establish what you should be able to pay and will generally work out payment programs with you. In California, I went through a program called AIM (Access for Infants and Mothers). They cover you for your pregnancy and 60 days after. BUT...the baby is not covered after....they will send you information for the baby from Healthy Families. It works just like regular insurance and you can pick with carrier you use from a list. I had Anthem Blue Cross. Based on my income (because I am not married), I had low payments which were easy to manage. Or you can pay the total amount up front and I believe they give you a discount.

Before the insurance kicked in for me, I did have to make a hospital trip. Unfortunately, they do not back pay claims of more than $300. Due to the severity of my morning sickness, I was dehydrated and needed a trip to the ER for fluids and anti-nausea medicine. I almost fell over when I received my hospital bill. I was sick, totally broke at the time and just did not know how I was going to pay it. I called the hospital and explained my situation, and they cut my bill in more than half...and worked out a payment plan with me. I made my last payment today!!! Yeay!

Don't be afraid to make the call, ask for help, and see what you can do. Times are tough right now, so you need all the help you can get!