Comments on Real Honest Thinking: Maternity Care for Men

I happen to be in the market for maternity care be...

2011-06-23T13:12:24.463-04:00

I happen to be in the market for maternity care because my company decided to dump the coverage they have been offering, when I am 5 months pregnant (well, I will be when the coverage ends). The reason I found this posting was because I am interested in finding out the following: Why isn't my husband's insurance policy, which offers maternity coverage, able to help mitigate the cost of my maternity care? I understand it is called maternity care, but isn't at least part of the point of the doctor's monitoring to ensure the safety of the baby? Shouldn't this also be "fetus care", and didn't my husband contribute to that fetus being there (I know, I know, you don't KNOW that he did, but trust me, it was him)? So, if my husband's policy offers maternity care, my argument is that it should help cover the cost of him having a child. For that matter, until an effective method of birth control (aside from sterilization) is developed for men, shouldn't my husband have the option of paying for the prevention of children in his relationship - hence paying for the birth control I would take?

For the record, no, I am not on his plan at this time, since 1. we weren't sure we were going to try having children this year and 2. we had no clue my work was going to drop a bombshell on us.

The problem is the government blows and can't ...

2009-08-04T08:43:54.008-04:00

The problem is the government blows and can't do anything right(Social Security, Post Office, Medicare, Medicaid)

@Ben I take your point, but what I'm hearing f...

2009-08-03T15:19:39.963-04:00

@Ben I take your point, but what I'm hearing from Patrick is that you, as a father, should not be financially responsible for the position that you have put your partner in - since he seems to be saying that men have no role in maternity care.
I also reminded Patrick in a private email that "everyone who has ever been born" has required maternity care. Sorry single guys - that includes you too. In fact, maternity care is the most widely used service around the world because EVERYONE NEEDS IT. Labor/delivery is the one medical procedure that everyone has. It is also the least well-funded and least well-researched. Doesn't make sense to me.
Following up to @Jac -couldn't agree more, you don't have to have a job and a wife to have a kid.

the problem is that single men have the perceived ...

2009-08-03T14:30:30.849-04:00

the problem is that single men have the perceived behavior of running around impregnating single women. While this is an exaggerated notion, not all single men are responsible enough to keep it in their pants let alone be honest about it on a form that determines whether or not they can save hundreds or thousands of dollars.

It's a byproduct of a society that has lost its sense of shame, its moral compass and the ability to determine right from wrong. So we all suffer equally.

@Sarah not quite.. the cost of insurance here sho...

2009-08-03T13:56:27.757-04:00

@Sarah not quite.. the cost of insurance here should mitigate the risk of COMPLICATIONS and extreme circumstances when caring for the mother and baby from conception, to birth, through the new-born well-baby visits that are generally included in programs. For example, my last baby had no complications, and was a fairly quick labor and delivery. Relatively speaking, it was an inexpensive ordeal for the insurance provider.

Now, compare that to a few of the special needs babies that some of my close friends have had, and the comparative price tag on those deliveries was huge. Surgeries, consultations, lab tests, follow-up visits, hospital stays, medications... I think you get the picture.

@All To play devil's advocate here, the "risk pool" including ALL people, and not just those "potentially able to conceive" DOES further dilute the risk. Does society find this acceptable or not is another question...

The problem with this is that it's not just th...

2009-08-03T12:38:31.829-04:00

The problem with this is that it's not just the individual mother's needs, it's mom and baby. Now you have placed 100% of the cost burden of delivering EVERY baby on 50% of the population. What if the baby is a boy? Shouldn't he have to contribute to the cost of his birth when he's older?

I am a female reader, and I agree - I think that y...

2009-08-03T10:46:53.795-04:00

I am a female reader, and I agree - I think that you should be able to elect certain types of coverage and drop others - customize your plan to meet your needs - a single man doesn't need maternity coverage, and neither does a woman who has gone thru menopause or had a hysterectomy - and for that matter, neither does an elderly couple who does need other forms of care that, in general, a 20- or 30-something would not need... if healthcare focused more on prevention (instead of being reactionary), was tailored to meet the individual's needs, and was not controlled by government it would drive down the costs for everyone