I often consider if I am not a knowledgeable person as I think on most things, I have the means to find out in ways many do not. So if I have issues, I assume those are amplified by thousands of people like me and many more without access.
I hope to not present a diatribe. But, if I am able to be confused and rushed and stressed as an attorney who graduated Summa Cum Laude, it creates in my mind all the more reason that this is a a right (health care) and should be simple.
More below the fold of my personal story (luckily) there is no great trouble (yet).
As some very excellent and observant people have made known I am planning to be a father.
The due date was January 26th. I am essentially unemployed and unmarried.
When my girlfriend found out, I had good health insurance, and she was provided for under her father's plan.
Health Care is not something we took for granted. I helped her fill out an application on the portal. Ohio Medicaid was to contact her (as she is not/was not working) back in November.
At the time her father was planning to leave his job. I suggested that he should make sure that his resignation was in January so that she would be covered for birth.
Time flies. Now here we are she is dilated 2.5 centimeters and if she does not give birth by Monday, well that is when she will be induced.
I thought I had been savvy in making sure she would be covered through January. I thought I'd been savvy in applying and waiting on medicaid.
I know that I will return to a decent (likely corporate counsel) job soon for my child's coverage but that he would be covered by SCHIP.
Today I began to call after seeing she may give birth in February.
My mistake, but hey it is a difficult enough (and exciting enough time), you don't think about paperwork, you think of course my baby is covered.
First Call was to Ohio Medicaid. They had never called back or sent a letter. Is she going to be covered on the 1st? What'd the letter mean that she should be called by Medicaid?
(Not to mention what if we were in a state where a Governor decided not to expand).
Medicaid hung up on me until I finally left a message.
I next looked online, and realized (my baby will need healthcare in days) I need to know about SCHIP. I asked her if any of the State Employees had discussed it with her and she said no.
I called and to my shock, the woman was in disbelief we had not started the process as soon as she found out she was pregnant. Well, at that time I had insurance, I had a job.
My assumption was he is going to be a U.S. citizen how could he not be enrolled with ease after we say "he's here". As it seems to ask a lot of knolwedge (assuming I'd lose my job).
So will my G/F be covered for birth. I don't know. No one called in the last three months.
Will my son be? I guess if, while my gf can hardly walk, we go in for 3 hours to the local office and they give a presumptive nod.
These things are not the result of my Laziness. Assuring my gf that things will be fine and she'll never have to pay the $40,000.00 for labor because you don't think to get insurance while you have it. Nor, to get it for someone who well doesn't exist.
In the back of my mind I hope it is not covered by a Chapter 7 bankruptcy simply due to a birth on the 1st of the month (if induced). Or what if born the 30th, it expires and she cannot go to whatever office she may need?
It's preposterous. What's more not logical (how we care for others), or even clear to the educated.
If you are born you should not have to worry did your parents think to go get you SCHIP.
If it can happen to me. It happens to millions. And I do hope I get advice about expedition and presumptions. But, the bottom line is in her situation, it is insane to have your first worry be when you give birth, what if he gets sick before our application for insurance is approved. Or at least there's a Chapter 7 to get rid of medical debt.
Birth Certificate. Health care.