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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:31 pm Subject: overwhelmed

I had gotten overextended after graduating from college.... I put most of my living expenses on my credit cards while paying for school out right to avoid student loans... this fall i was fired from my good paying job and quickly found a new job that cost me more to hold then i brought home... so i quit and started searching for a new job.... I am still job hunting after two months... I'm unable to pay my current bills and I'm now four and half months pregnant and medical bills have started to come in.... i don't know what to do...

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:53 pm Subject:

Hi angie! I am kind of in the same boat as you....I hope you have the support of your babies father because trust me as the months go on you are going to need it! I am 7.5 months pregnant and have found myself in a financial mess as well....Here are some things that while they do not solve your immediate financial problems may help you get back on your feet..One-you need to go and apply for wic and foodstamps...Also if you are having trouble paying gas and electric a lot of states have what is called community action where they will help you pay your gas and electric-the g&e company can give you the information on that. Secondly, as far as the medical bills are concerned you need to start typing up letters of financial hardship to the companies-this will help reduce or eliminate most of the debt to them...also you probably qualify for the medical card in your state and they may backdate it so look into that...If you have hospital bills, I recomment contacting the hospital most hospitals have public assistance that can help you pay for what they do not write off. In your letters of financial hardship state why you are having problems and explain to them what you have to pay versus the money you make which in your case it appears to be none.

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 3:44 pm Subject:

Good advice Leah---especially about the WIC. When my daughter signed up for WIC, it was a pretty speedy process compared to the time and paperwork it takes for something like food stamps to kick in. Being pregnant almost always enables you to qualify for these types of programs and medical care.

Also many cities or small towns have community food banks or pantries that participate in government food surplus giveaway programs. Be diligent and get started on these things now, before you get in dire straits and have no food.

Feel free to come back and continue to post any questions. Keep us posted.

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:14 pm Subject:

Depending upon what state you are in Medicaid is getting hard to qualify for. People assume that just because you are unemployed that you can get Medicaid and Foodstamps, in most instances if they view you as an able bodied person they will require you to find a job and work at least 20 hr/week to keep the entitlements. WIC is much easier to qualify for, once your baby is born, the baby will qualify for medical assistance, the change in laws are more focused on adults due to rampant abuse of the system. The only hospital that could turn somebody away who receives Medicaid would be a privately operated hospital, I have yet to see a hospital that turns away Medicaid patients unless like I said they are private. You should apply for everything to see what you qualify for, don't know what type of assets you have but they do come into play, one that nobody considers is if you have a life insurance policy that may disqualify you for entitlements or cause you to pay a spend down to receive your monthly Medicaid card. (Spend down is medical expenses you have to accrue before they release your card each month, or you can just pay the cash to the dept. for the release of your card, kind of like paying an insurance premium).

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:18 pm Subject:

I don't recommend writing letters to hospitals about your financial hardship. They don't want to hear the story behind it, they need to see hard copies of your financial situation, such as last paystubs, W-2's, bank statements, life insurance policies, etc.....You would be wasting your time writing a financial hardship letter explaining your situation. Trust me on that, you just need to call and they will tell you to fill out a form.

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:29 pm Subject:

You should go to your local welfare office and let them evaluate your situation. They should be able to refer you out to everything you need.

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:31 pm Subject:

Fedup is right, because that is exactly where the hospital would direct you, even though they do have programs, that is usually not until after you have acquired an actual bill, and they will also send in a social worker once your baby is born to help you fill out the assitance papers for the baby.

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 7:49 pm Subject:

Good advice from everyone here, and I can add that due to patient dumping laws on the books, no hospital, private or public, can turn anyone away who needs emergent care.
There was a case in my county about 20 years ago which concerned a pregnant woman on Medi-Cal (our version of Medicaid in California), who came to a local hospital's ER in labor and was shipped to the local county hospital via ambulance; losing her baby enroute. Needless to say, there was a huge uproar, let along a huge lawsuit, which resulted in laws being changed here. Once a patient is stabilized and there is a bed available, they will go to County in a New York minute, but not before.

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:49 pm Subject:

I don't think anyone can be denied medical care, but you should have a ob doc being pregnant, you need to go and see your local county assistance office. You should have care through out your pregnancy. Don't wait for an emergency. All the stress with your financial situation is not good on your baby either, that is even a better reason to be monitored. Goodluck!

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:53 pm Subject:

When you are pregnant, you can't be denied medcial assistance through social services, right? I know a child who is determined to be "in need" can't be turned down for medical programs or food programs.

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:56 pm Subject:

In most states you can get medical coverage while you are pregnant and they take it away after your 6 week checkup but the child remains on the coverage....

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