“Fill out these forms and I’ll need your drivers license and health insurance cards.”
I told the receptionist, “I don’t have health insurance“—and noticed her raised eyebrows.
But I quickly followed up with, “But I am part of a health sharing plan, so the bills won’t be a problem.”
She looked skeptical, but nodded.
Through my pregnancy, every time I had to tell someone I didn’t have health insurance, I was a little worried at what they’d say…what they’d think. It was my first pregnancy with no health insurance, and truth be told, I was also a little worried about the bills. At first.
While we’d had nothing but good experiences with Samaritan health-sharing Ministries up until that point, this was a pregnancy. This was different.
I had a history of complicated pregnancies: c-sections, hyperemesis landing me in the hospital, PICC lines, pre-term labor resulting in extra treatments and hospitalizations. Pregnancy has never been a walk in the park for me. Pregnancy has always taken a toll on my body and on my wallet—even with the best health insurance.
How would using Samaritan work for complicated pregnancies like mine?
Pregnancy Without Health Insurance (how this time was different)
I didn’t have health insurance, but this pregnancy was different from previous pregnancies in several ways (it was better). I didn’t end up with preterm labor. I didn’t have debilitating hyperemesis. I didn’t have multiple hospitalizations. I didn’t need a PICC line (in fact I only needed one IV infusion in my first trimester). And I didn’t need a c-section.
However, to say it was an easy pregnancy wouldn’t exactly be accurate. And it definitely wasn’t a cheap pregnancy.
In addition to all the regular expenses of pregnancy and a hospital birth…
- I needed to be closely monitored with extra doctors visits because of my high-risk pregnancy
- I needed monthly progesterone injections to help reduce the chances of pre-term labor
- Baby needed to be closely monitored with extra ultrasounds and non-stress tests
- I needed daily injections of blood thinners — I have 2 issues that can cause problems with clotting and have caused miscarriages in the past.
- And I used an experimental medication for my hyperemesis (there are current studies that are being done right now on patients with severe hyperemesis who the standard therapies don’t work for).
And guess what…Samaritan covered every one of those expenses, plus the regular pregnancy and delivery stuff, 100%.
If you choose Samaritan for health sharing, would you consider using our name as a referral “Steven and Trisha Gilkerson” (yeah, Luke’s legal first name is “Steven”)? We’ll receive credit toward our share and if you love Samaritan as much as we do, you can refer your friends!
Pregnancy — Your Way
When the doctor questioned whether I’d be able to afford certain medications without health insurance, I was able to tell her it was no problem. The cost of the medications was shared with our network 100%.
No co-pays.
No deductibles.
No irritating back-and-forth between doctors offices and insurance bureaucrats about what treatments will be covered or the “right forms” to fill out.
And that experimental medication for my severe hyperemesis—I didn’t have to jump through hoops. I didn’t have to try all the other meds that I already knew wouldn’t work just to make an insurance company happy. I didn’t even have to get it “ok’ed” in advance. I told my doctor the cost was no problem, and the cost was again shared 100% with the Samaritan network.
When I decided I wanted to hire a doula for this pregnancy, Samaritan said the network would cover up to $500 (WOW!). I’ve never known of an insurance company to cover this.
And if I’d have decided I wanted a midwife instead of a doctor or a home birth—yup, Samaritan’s network would have covered it 100%.
Being able to make health care decisions with my doctor that are best for me without having to jump through all the hoops of insurance has been a breath of fresh air. Samaritan’s openness to alternative treatments allowed me to experience my easiest pregnancy yet.
If you’re interested in learning more about how Samaritan health sharing Ministries works, check out this article: How I took Control of My Health & Saved Money When I Dumped Health Insurance.
If you choose Samaritan for health sharing, would you consider using our name as a referral “Steven and Trisha Gilkerson” (yeah, Luke’s legal first name is “Steven”)? We’ll receive credit toward our share and if you love Samaritan as much as we do, you can refer your friends!
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