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I had a scheduled c-section and right before I was going to be wheeled off the billing woman stopped the gurney thing and said that I still needed to pay my hospital co-pay ($1,500) before my surgery could occur. I paid it (I probably would have paid anything to not be pregnant anymore ), but I was super annoyed. I expressed that I didn't appear to be carrying my debit card in my gown and that my husband was off getting "suited-up." They asked where my personal effects were and offered to get my wallet. It was all really awkward and I agree that billing is a much more logical option.

I would recommend getting in writing that you are being billed and that payment is not required prior to your c-section (or while in the hospital). I would hate for you to be in my situation. They legitimately said I could not get my c-section without paying at that time.

ETA: I potentially could have pushed it off, but I'm pretty sure they would have refused to discharge me until I paid once the services were rendered.

I think it's a ridiculous hospital billing tactic, and while they can legally request that you make payment upfront, they can't legally force you to make payment until the service is performed. You can throw that piece of information back into the supervisor's court to explain away. It's ridiculous that they try to back people into a corner to ensure they get paid.

@2PeasinaPod: Can you tell me more about this? I just got off the phone with my insurance company regarding a procedure for my son. The agent said that the surgery center could absolutely deny us service if we refuse to pay upfront on the day of the procedure, so I am not sure what our rights are.

@bubblegum: Seriously. I went to the ER with my daughter and the woman came around telling us that we needed to pay 10% right then and there. It was only $100, but still!

@looch: While a provider can certainly ask for an upfront payment, you are not legally bound to pay it if the provider is in-network with your insurance company. The contract that the provider has with your insurance company states that they will bill according to the terms of your insurance policy once the service is performed. If there is no service performed, they cannot force payment. It's why you also sign a waiver prior to having any service done stating that if your insurance company doesn't pay, you could be responsible for the full bill. They want to make sure they have recourse if you end up not paying for something that the insurance company denies for whatever reason.

But...they cannot force you to pay for a service that has not yet been performed unless they are an out of network provider with your insurance plan.

@looch: Totally understand. When you have a high deductible health plan, it's hard, because you will be responsible for the entire bill anyway. Since they already know the insurance company won't have a payment over to you (it will all count towards your deductible), they want to be sure they're being paid upfront. Negotiating a payment plan with them now might help ease the tensions so that you don't have a surprise bill later. Hoping things go ok for your son

After my emergency c-section following a failed 30-some hour induction (aka, two plus full days of being at the hospital), the accounting person came to my room asking for me $100 copay... within an hour of being released from recovery. DH was out for a few minutes getting food and I was drugged and alone with my newborn. I had no idea where my clothes were, let alone my wallet. She didn't even look like official hospital staff and, in my hazy state, I thought it was a scam. But for a measly $100...they can have a little more grace about collecting a copay, don't you think? I can't even believe she insisted when I said I didn't know where my wallet was. Finally she got a clue and said she would come back. DH gave them a 5-minute eye roll when they processed the payment on their next visit to my room (like 4 hours later!).

[edited for clarity, typos]

@Amorini: A lady from hospital administration came to my recovery room and asked me to sign a bunch of forms. I had just been released from the ICU and was extremely drugged up and I think I was also trying to pump (so not 100% covered up). I managed to refuse and in a less than polite way asked them to come back later. I was PISSED.

My hospital does this also for scheduled c- sections (DD's best buddy was born there and her mom told me about it). They told her what the cost would be at her VERY FIRST APPOINTMENT and let her set up a payment plan with them in advance. Plenty of people that budget for baby related medical bills don't have the entire amount the day they are scheduled for delivery.

@snowjewelz: me too! They asked me what I was comfortable paying the second time around. I wasn't happy to pay then but it's a better experience than what the OP is going through.

Interesting. I don't recall being notified by the hospital of what the copay would be. I did call my insurance company to find out. During the hospital birth class I think they covered when a billing person would visit us. Now, I can't remember if we saw her in the OR prep room or later in the recovery room. Either way I figured we would pay all known associated medical/ hospital costs while at the hospital.

I am happy that you had the option to get billed since the copay would have been a hardship for you at birth.

I didn't have any experiences like this concerning my son's delivery, but I did not have a c-section.

I had a very frustrating experience with my RE's office recently, though. Basically I received a lot of hostile calls berating me that I needed to pay in advance for an IUI. But you can't control IUI scheduling. It depends on when you ovulate. So I did not want to pay in advance for something that I could not 100% commit to doing. The first round wound up being on a Sunday, and I tried to pay upon arrival but the billing office was closed because it was the weekend. Then they never sent me a bill. When they called to harass me about the second cycle, I explained that I was undecided about doing the IUI. Then I asked about the previous cycle because after all their harassment about prepayment they never actually sent me a bill. They told me to pay via their portal, but the invoice was stuck in the insurance step so I had to bug them to update it. At that point I complained to the office manager.

Then I wound up skipping my next IUI (because it would have required me to cancel my son's third birthday party). They STILL called me after the date passed to harass me about paying in advance even though the last time I spoke with them I explained that I was not 100% committed to doing it.

I wound up getting pregnant anyway. Hopefully this is a sticky pregnancy and I don't have to consider another round of IUI. But if I do, I am going to seriously consider changing clinics because this is ridiculous.

I should add that the payment was $730. I get that is a nontrivial amount of money, but it's not like we're talking about a round of IVF. And I have perfectly good credit and always pay my bills on time. I have never been harassed so obnoxiously over a bill before.

My hospital wanted me to pay the "standard amount a vaginal birth costs" when I registered. I refused. They told me it was the general amount people owed after their insurance paid. I still refused and asked that my insurance be billed first. I didn't want to overpay then have to deal with a ton of phone calls when I had a newborn. I ended up paying less than I was quoted.

@looch: I did a ton of research and sat down with someone at their office to understand the costs up front and review what would be covered by my insurance. They are making a bunch of money from providing this service to me; the least they can do is make a few notes regarding my case and not rudely demand payment for a service that I told them I may not even use. They also could have been much more polite about it.

I gave my doctor -- who coincidentally is leaving the clinic -- this feedback too. He did not seem surprised and said that the decline in administration at the clinic contributed to his decision to move on. The clinic is associated with the best university in my city, and he's been doing research there for 23 years, so I'm sure it was a big deal for him to leave his professorship and move on. So, I don't think it's just me!