Comments on: Does insurance pay when you leave the hospital AMA? http://vbacfacts.com/2008/07/05/does-insurance-pay-when-you-leave-the-hospital-ama/ Vaginal birth after cesarean? Don't freak, know the facts. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:40:36 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Dr. L http://vbacfacts.com/2008/07/05/does-insurance-pay-when-you-leave-the-hospital-ama/comment-page-1/#comment-470 Dr. L Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:49:40 +0000 http://vbacfacts.com/2008/07/05/does-insurance-pay-when-you-leave-the-hospital-ama/#comment-470 Beckie: I think it is technically true that an insurance could refuse to cover a surgery if you go AMA, though I haven't heard of this actually happening. What I have seen is insurances refusing to cover a hospital stay, especially at an out-of-network hospital, if you sign out AMA. They use the argument of "medical necessity" to get out of paying. If you refuse a surgery, then it must not be medically necessary. This wouldn't apply if you were getting a second opinion or looking into other options, and would require your doctor documenting well the reasons for your refusal, so you need him/her on your side. Beckie: I think it is technically true that an insurance could refuse to cover a surgery if you go AMA, though I haven’t heard of this actually happening. What I have seen is insurances refusing to cover a hospital stay, especially at an out-of-network hospital, if you sign out AMA. They use the argument of “medical necessity” to get out of paying. If you refuse a surgery, then it must not be medically necessary. This wouldn’t apply if you were getting a second opinion or looking into other options, and would require your doctor documenting well the reasons for your refusal, so you need him/her on your side.

]]> By: Beckie http://vbacfacts.com/2008/07/05/does-insurance-pay-when-you-leave-the-hospital-ama/comment-page-1/#comment-469 Beckie Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:38 +0000 http://vbacfacts.com/2008/07/05/does-insurance-pay-when-you-leave-the-hospital-ama/#comment-469 Does anyone know if postponing a surgery AMA will affect insurance coverage? <em>Beckie, I don't know. Can anyone else help? Thanks, Jen</em> Does anyone know if postponing a surgery AMA will affect insurance coverage?

Beckie, I don’t know. Can anyone else help? Thanks, Jen

]]> By: Cynthia http://vbacfacts.com/2008/07/05/does-insurance-pay-when-you-leave-the-hospital-ama/comment-page-1/#comment-419 Cynthia Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:04:33 +0000 http://vbacfacts.com/2008/07/05/does-insurance-pay-when-you-leave-the-hospital-ama/#comment-419 When I was pregnant with my daughter in 04 I was 1 week overdue and at that visit was already 3 cms so I was 'forced' to go to L & D for a BPP and then to be induced since "no one wants you walking around with a partially dilated cervix". After a good cry and pep talk with my doulas I refused the induction and had to sign AMA forms for that...the main OB on the floor came in and said I HAD to come in that friday ( 41w6d) to be induced or my insurance would/could refuse to pay for the birth later...ESP if anything went wrong ( she started citing statistics on stillbirths going up after 42 weeks and such). Not fun. Totally untrue of course, but I didn't appreciate the stress. When I was pregnant with my daughter in 04 I was 1 week overdue and at that visit was already 3 cms so I was ‘forced’ to go to L & D for a BPP and then to be induced since “no one wants you walking around with a partially dilated cervix”. After a good cry and pep talk with my doulas I refused the induction and had to sign AMA forms for that…the main OB on the floor came in and said I HAD to come in that friday ( 41w6d) to be induced or my insurance would/could refuse to pay for the birth later…ESP if anything went wrong ( she started citing statistics on stillbirths going up after 42 weeks and such). Not fun. Totally untrue of course, but I didn’t appreciate the stress.

]]>