Sorry I can't provide a lot of information, but I live in the UK now so I'm sort of out of the US loop. I'm sure someone else can provide better info for you.

Your hubby is working the way a lot of companies employ people, specifically to avoid having to provide health insurance. It sucks.

You can get reasonably priced pre-natal care at clinics local to you. This would be less expensive than going through a private OB or midwife pratice. Your local planned parenthood would be a good place to start:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ZIP.HTM

In terms of labour and delivery, if you choose to give birth in hospital, you can make payments over time on a bill that will likely reach several thousand dollars. Don't freak; you can literally pay over a period of years.

If you choose to give birth at home, you may be able to find doulas/midwives who will also let you pay over time, and the bill is likely to be lower.

You should also look into medicaid funding in your state to provide health insurance to your child after birth if you are indeed preganant if you are a low income family. Many states will provide coverage for children in families living at up to 150% of the federal poverty level under a program called SCHIP (State Childrens Health Insurance Plan.)

If you are pregnant, you can find other young mothers facing similar issues, as well as mamas who have been there, done that! at http://www.hipmama.com

Good luck to you and please let us know what your test says

I am also not in the US, but Planned Parenthood offered this bit of advice in their What if I am pregnant article.

quote:

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You can get complete information about prenatal care and how to pay for it from your family doctor, your local Planned Parenthood center, other family planning clinics, women's health centers, and your state's department of family services. Good prenatal care is very important for a baby's health.

To make an appointment with the Planned Parenthood center nearest you about your pregnancy options and prenatal care, call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN.

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Caro
~spanking new Scarleteen Sexpert~

You might want to find out if there is a Birthright in your area... either do a search for them online (they have an 800 number to locate on in your area), or look it up in the white pages. They offer 'abortion alternatives' and are kind of pro-lifey, but not as much as some of the 'Crisis Pregnancy Centers' that you will run across. They will help you find the help that you need, get you in touch with your health department to find out if you can qualify for any kind of assistance with health insurance. If you are in the USA you can apply for medicaid. It does take a while to apply, but is retroactive so that any medical bills you incur during the application process will be reimbursed once you have the medicaid all in place.

Good luck! Even if you are not pregnant, health insurance is something you should investigate.. you never know when you could get sick or there could be an emergency, you know?

Health care in the USA is such a mess, I had a really hard time getting insured when I was pregnant... now I live in France where they have mostly socialized medicine.. I had to pay about $700 in bills while I was in the USA, and the had my daughter in France.. I owed almost nothing. And my boyfriend and I are not even citizens here (though he does work here..). ANyway. Good luck to you! If you have more questions or need more suggestions please keep coming back!!

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~KittenGoddess
Scarleteen Advocate

Want to know the goddess? Read the kittenblog!