 Currently,
approximately 50 health insurance carriers provide for
partial or complete third-party reimbursement for midwife
services as an out-of network care provider. In October
of 2009, the insurance industry issued the appropriate
codes and care provider identification numbers to facilitate
the processing and approval of a midwife’s client’s claims
for reimbursement for midwifery care. Your insurer may
or may not provide reimbursement for midwifery services.
As
providers of high-quality, personalized healthcare, we have
experienced insurers who have a claims process designed
to frustrate and confuse policyholders and providers with
needless demands for irrelevant information in violation
of their own policies and California state law. Many of
these companies have been cited and fined hundreds of thousands
of dollars for deliberately not paying claims after indicating
they would. A small, family-owned business such as AquaNatal
Midwifery Care cannot sustain its operations while trying
to deal with such convoluted illegal prac
AquaNatal
Midwifery Care
is willing to help its clients receive reimbursement for
the costs paid for our services. We have developed the appropriate
invoice, health care provider insurance claim form, and
accompanying cover letter which will be sent to you within
10 working days following receipt of final payment and the
completion of our services, which is 6 weeks after your
baby’s birth.
Please
be advised that as with all out-of-network care providers,
it is the responsibility of the client to pay for midwifery
services and then seek reimbursement from her health insurance
carrier.
If you
intend to pursue reimbursement for AquaNatal midwifery &
facility services, you must:
• Pay for your Professional & Facility services in full
by 36 weeks;
• Print from their website & complete your health insurance
carrier's insurance reimbursement form; and
• Submit the following to your insurance carrier:
•
Insurance reimbursement form;
•
Letter from AquaNatal Midwifery Care; and
•
AquaNatal Midwifery receipt, detailing the services provided
If you receive a letter denying the claim, resubmit the
same information for a secondary review by your health insurer
and copy the information to your employer and the insurance
company's chief executive officer (CEO) explaining why you
feel this service should be covered. You might also consider
filing a complaint with the California Insurance Commissioner.
Reimbursement with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
The Federal Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is designed
to reimburse you for medical and pharmaceutical costs not
covered by traditional health insurance carriers. Recently,
the Federal Flexible Spending Plan has disallowed reimbursement
for birth doula fees, breastfeeding class fees and rental
fees for breast pumps. However, it is still possible to
receive reimbursement for midwife and childbirth education
fees.
AquaNatal Midwifery Care is willing to help its clients
receive reimbursement for the costs paid for midwife services.
We have developed the appropriate invoice and description
of services which can be sent to you within 10 working days
following receipt of final payment and the completion of
our services. You may file a FSA reimbursement request for
the cost of midwife services. Please include with your request
a copy of your AquaNatal invoice which includes a scope
of services description.
"A lot of times,
when we look at successful people — co-workers,
friends — they tend to be dragons," her husband
said. "Who knows if it's coincidence."
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NEW PARENTS Handout
- AquaNatal
Midwifery Care Services
-
Nutrition.Expecting.Fitness
- Get
Your Baby Lined Up
- Essential
Stretches
-
Am I in Labor Yet
-
EARLY LABOR. Is this it?
- What
Women Need for a Safe and Satisfying Birth
- Labor
Food
- How
to Register Your Baby's Birth?
- Bringing
Home Baby
-
Checklist
- Maternity
Care
-
How much does it cost?
- Insurance
Does Not Reimburse Midwives Directly
Clients Talk About
Midwifery Fees
"This is such inexpensive
care! I paid the same amount for a hospital birth twenty
years ago".
~ Grandmother of baby Jennifer "
"At first I thought
there is no way I'm going to pay $5,000 dollars out-of-pocket
for a birth center birth! My HMO wouldn't cover my delivery
out of the hospital. I cried, partly because I was early
pregnant and cried a lot, but also I really wanted to have
my baby at a birth center. The hospital birth would have
been free. Then I thought about all the things we plunk
money down on: our entertainment center, bedroom set, vacations
etc. I decided to splurge on Aiden's birth. It was worth
it. I had him in the water and I will NEVER forget his little
face coming up out of the water. He looked right at me.
It was all really calm and gentle and worth every cent!"
~ Briseli, mother of Aiden
"It was kind of hard
to come up with the money to pay the midwives, but I figured
I'm not going to give birth too many times and this is the
only time this baby will be born." ~ Alejandra after Victoria's
birth
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