Our Senior Moderator, Sara Owens, writes:
A lot of us find that we end up with large bills after our preeclampsia experience, and/or we or our partners are unable to work for a while while we or baby are in the hospital. This group does not allow requests for assistance because so many of us have been through financial troubles, but we have put together this list of suggestions that may help with costs.
Talk to your insurance company to make sure they have covered everything they are supposed to cover.
Apply for Medicaid, for you and/or baby. They can cover retroactively.
A baby in NICU may qualify for disability coverage while in the hospital and after coming home.
Tell the hospital/NICU social worker if you are struggling; they can sometimes provide help like food, gas, and parking vouchers, and they can give you information about social security and other organizations who may be able to help.
Talk to the hospital and clinic about payment plans, or about reducing the bills if you pay a certain amount right away.
Ask the hospital what sorts of benevolence fund they can offer. I googled "help with bills [My Hospital Name]" and a form came up where you can apply for hardship assistance. I also found a phone number for their financial counseling department. Yours may have those as well, so dig around and see what you can find -- and ask, even if you do not think you will qualify!
If you are struggling to pay regular bills due to you/your partner not working as much, talk to your creditors and see if they can give you a month or two off. Let them know the situation and see if you qualify for any sort of benevolence or income-based help.
If you have a church or other similar group, ask if they can help with some groceries or with paying a utility bill. Ask friends or family if they are willing to help a bit now and then, and if people ask how they can help, let them know what would be most helpful.
Apply for food stamps, WIC, energy assistance, etc., even if you are not sure you qualify.
For prescriptions, look into Goodrx, and shop around; some pharmacies will have lower prices. WalMart may have a $4 cost for your prescription. Ask if there is a generic alternative or a similar medication that may be cheaper. Ordering online and/or ordering a 90-day supply (once your meds are stable) may get you a better price. Ask if your doctor has samples, and look at the manufacturer's website to see if they offer any assistance with the cost.
If transportation is difficult, contact your insurance and see if they offer any form of non-emergent transportation to medical appointments and the like.
Look into the types of work leave allowed for you and your partner, what portion of your salary/ies may be covered, and what leaves must be used before others are available. Stacking the different leaves may allow for better coverage of expenses while you and/or baby are incurring lengthy hospital stays, but it may take longer than your regular pay interval to receive the money. You should talk to your HR department or the equivalent about what is available to you and what documentation they would need, and the hospital social worker may also be able to tell you what your area provides. You may qualify for a combination of sick leave, vacation leave, specific paid maternity leave, family medical leave (not required to pay but can hold your job for several weeks), state medical leave, short term disability, and/or long term disability. You may need to sign up for disability before becoming pregnant, so that is something to keep in mind when planning a pregnancy.
Some areas may offer COVID-related benefits, so ask your HR or equivalent about those, or ask the social worker if such things are available.
If you have additional suggestions for helping with the bills and other costs, feel free to leave them in the comments, and we will edit the thread as warranted.