One of the questions I am frequently asked is "Do you accept Medicaid?"
I always respond with "Medicaid will not pay for my services," and when I say that I mean that they do not cover the services of a licensed midwife. But even if they did, I'm still not sure I would accept it. And in that case my answer would be the same, "Medicaid will not pay for my services." And by that, I would mean that Medicaid would not pay me anything even close to what my services are worth. If what other states' Medicaid programs pay midwives is any indication, they would probably pay me somewhere in the neighborhood of $500. For everything. I can't do what I do for that price.
However, I realize that my regular fees may be beyond the budget of some people. In the past, I have had one or two clients who asked if I could give them a reduced fee because they couldn't afford my services otherwise. I worked with them and was glad that I could help.
To help with this situation, I offer two discounts to my regular fees. Clients may qualify for one or the other, but not both. I will offer a $500 discount off of my base fee for those who are enrolled in Texas Medicaid. And I will offer a sliding scale with two fee options (payment plan or pay in full by 36 weeks) for families whose household income is at or below poverty levels. In both of these instances, I will not be offering any other discounts.
Women often come up with some very creative ways to earn/find/borrow the money they need to get the birth they want. If you really want midwifery care and a home birth, please talk to me. I can't give my services away for free, but I'm hoping these discounts will help more women be able to afford the care they deserve.