Newborn Screening
May
27
Just 5 days before my due date I have finally checked something off my things to-do before the baby is born list. That is to find out if the Student Health Center does Newborn Screenings. In the US the screening can detect 29 – 54 disorders depending on what state you live in, Utah screens for 47 different disorders. In Canada most provinces only test for treatable disorders. For example British Columbia tests for 18 disorders, just 3 years ago they only tested for 4 different disorders.
The receptionist had no idea what I was talking about so she had to ask a nurse if they did the screening and they do. Which is good because we only have to pay a $10 co-payment at the Student Health Center, it would be $150 for my midwife to do the test.
I’m happy that because JJ is a grad student the insurance premiums is paid for by the Chemistry Department as it would be over $3000 a year. If we had to pay for our own insurance I would be looking up insurance quotes for better rates and coverage. I personally don’t think the school’s insurance provides the best value but we might as well stick with it because we don’t have to pay the premiums.
Now I’ll just have to make sure I make the appointment within a week after the baby’s born.
May 27th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Wow. Hugest blessing ever that you don’t have to pay premiums. I wish I could get hooked up with something like that.
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Melissa Reply:
May 28th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
So true, it is! They don’t cover maternity though but that’s okay for us since we are having a home birth.
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