[USER]

With Open Enrollment season and family planning for the next year, do most people stay on the High deductible plan w/HSA option or move into a HMO/Kaiser type plan that year due to potential pregnancy and labor/delivery costs?

My HD plan is $4k deductible w/$6k out of pocket max for indv+1.

Most visits will be 15% until deductible is reached. While the HMO plan is $0 deductible w/$4k out of pocket max and most are $20 – $25 for office visits with $500 co pay for inpatient hospital stay.

[Andrew]

I paid $6k to have my son a few years ago by C section. I did not enjoy those bills lol. They just kept coming for months.

If I could go back I would have gotten the better plan that year and gone back to hdhp the following.

[Marlis]

I just calculated the total cost/benefit and then took the one that was better value. With pregnancy and delivery I always reached out of pocket max

[Kira]

I had 2 children while on HDHP with HSA. All you need to care about is the OOP max, you’ll hit it for sure the year of delivery, and maybe one more year if your pregnancy falls into 2 years and you need a lot of care.

[Rachel]

Is your provider/facility in both networks?
If you want a fancy birthing suite hospital, it probably won’t be with the HMO facility.

[Sarah]

Run the math. But I suspect HDHP will be cheaper. Co pays add up fast and usually with pregnancy there are a lot more appointments than you think.

[Rebecca]

I’ve done two planned pregnancies and a few planned surgeries and always intentionally stayed on the HDHP.

However the answer will always be in the premium variance between your plan options combined with the details of each plan.

For me, if the premium savings covers the deductible then I always stay with HDHP.

[Rick]

Don’t take this as negative as it’s not meant to be
There are times you will want to have your coworkers and fellow American taxpayers pay for your healthcare needs.

Because that is how the system you didn’t build works.

A pregnancy timed where you can shift cost via OE choices is one.
I would do it and not look back.

[Jacquelyn]

Our hmo was so much more expensive it didn’t even make sense…. I’d say you’ll reach out of pocket max with either plan.

We were just under our $8k out of pocket max with one of our kids

[Lauren]

When we did the math with the plans available to us, the HDHP was cheaper overall when taking the OOP max and premiums into account.

I mean, it sucks to get a giant-ass hospital bill after giving birth (though the credit card points for it were nothing to sneeze at!), but at least for us, that was actually the cheaper option.

[Sarah]

HMO’s are usually terrible providers. I’d really look into that. PPO Id consider.

For your high deductible plan you mention, that really isn’t really that high.

That’s average plan for most work places.

[Author]

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