I'd probably switch as well -- at least check out the other OB/MFM and see if you like them. The additional $900/night would be enough to deter me, not to mention the fact that your wife can't stay with you (when I am sure you could use the help/support if your twins are with you in the room).
If I pay the $900 she can stay. The shared room is covered by my insurance.
Oh, I see -- must have missed that part. I'm frugal, so I would be very put off by the $900/night charge. I'd at least investigate other options to see if the other hospital/OB/MFM are viable options. Good luck!
Post by amaristella on Dec 9, 2013 19:03:15 GMT -5
That charge is insane. I vote change. I didn't like being alone with one baby for more than a couple hours. With two having an overnight person would be essential.
I'm side eyeing any hospital that would put a twin birth c-section mom in a shared room. Of course, my hospital doesn't have a well baby nursery so you automatically room in unless there is a major health problem with the kid.
ETA: I said something similar to jalepeno this fall
Do you have access to an FSA or other pretax account that you could use to pay for the upcharge? Just thinking it would take it down from $900 to like $600 or whatever. Still a lot of money though, especially if you end up being there for several nights.
I do have an FSA, but especially if I use this hospital and get a private room I will end up far exceeding the limit. With the likely c-section and increased chance of NICU due to multiples I suspect I'll be there for several days....
Thanks for digging this up! It was an interesting read. I know Manhattan just has a crazy lack of space that the rest of the world doesn't understand, but it's so frustrating that something that is such an established standard of care elsewhere is so foreign.
I'm pretty convinced by everyone's responses that we need to go back to the drawing table and figure out somewhere to switch to..... I am just completely exhausted by figuring out where to switch to.
I'm side eyeing any hospital that would put a twin birth c-section mom in a shared room. Of course, my hospital doesn't have a well baby nursery so you automatically room in unless there is a major health problem with the kid.
ETA: I said something similar to jalepeno this fall
I know, right??? But as jalepeno has pointed out, it's considered normal here... Even the patient education hotline lady told me she thought they'd try to get me in a room alone - but the admissions nurse did not seem at all optimistic about that happening, and warned me several times about the possibility of not even being able to get a private room if I'm willing to pay the charge because they're often full.
I'm side eyeing any hospital that would put a twin birth c-section mom in a shared room. Of course, my hospital doesn't have a well baby nursery so you automatically room in unless there is a major health problem with the kid.
ETA: I said something similar to jalepeno this fall
I know, right??? But as jalepeno has pointed out, it's considered normal here... Even the patient education hotline lady told me she thought they'd try to get me in a room alone - but the admissions nurse did not seem at all optimistic about that happening, and warned me several times about the possibility of not even being able to get a private room if I'm willing to pay the charge because they're often full.
THe hospital that I ended up delivering at has only private rooms, a happy accident. But it is in the Bronx, which, for whatever reason, the Bronx has such a bad rap.
I know, right??? But as jalepeno has pointed out, it's considered normal here... Even the patient education hotline lady told me she thought they'd try to get me in a room alone - but the admissions nurse did not seem at all optimistic about that happening, and warned me several times about the possibility of not even being able to get a private room if I'm willing to pay the charge because they're often full.
THe hospital that I ended up delivering at has only private rooms, a happy accident. But it is in the Bronx, which, for whatever reason, the Bronx has such a bad rap.
My boss drove himself across the GW bridge to Hackensack while having a heart attack (literally) in order to avoid going to Lincoln Hospital. Ha. That said, the Bronx is a big place and I'm sure there are good hospitals and bad hospitals.
The Bronx is far from everything in my life though, so it's not the answer for me.
Post by Cricket0619 on Dec 9, 2013 22:09:05 GMT -5
I would switch doctors. There are a lot of other good ones out there. I can't imagine not having your W there during such an important time. Does she think you should switch?
THe hospital that I ended up delivering at has only private rooms, a happy accident. But it is in the Bronx, which, for whatever reason, the Bronx has such a bad rap.
My boss drove himself across the GW bridge to Hackensack while having a heart attack (literally) in order to avoid going to Lincoln Hospital. Ha. That said, the Bronx is a big place and I'm sure there are good hospitals and bad hospitals.
The Bronx is far from everything in my life though, so it's not the answer for me.
I am unfamiliar with Lincoln Hospital. Actually, I am really unfamiliar with most of NYC, seeing as I have only been here for 3 months (and a helluva three months it has been!).
I would switch doctors. There are a lot of other good ones out there. I can't imagine not having your W there during such an important time. Does she think you should switch?
Sent from my MB865 using proboards
She's nervous and sad about the prospect of having to leave, but also overwhelmed with the idea of having to choose a new OB... and ultimately I think feels like if I'm comfortable with the OB then she doesn't want to force me to change.
I would switch doctors. There are a lot of other good ones out there. I can't imagine not having your W there during such an important time. Does she think you should switch?
Sent from my MB865 using proboards
She's nervous and sad about the prospect of having to leave, but also overwhelmed with the idea of having to choose a new OB... and ultimately I think feels like if I'm comfortable with the OB then she doesn't want to force me to change.
Good luck with whatever decision you make. Sorry you are dealing with this.
I'm side eyeing any hospital that would put a twin birth c-section mom in a shared room. Of course, my hospital doesn't have a well baby nursery so you automatically room in unless there is a major health problem with the kid.
ETA: I said something similar to jalepeno this fall
Ditto. I really hope they at least have a well-staffed nursery to combat this overcrowding. At my hosp they only take 8 babies and you have to request ahead of time, so we couldn't send him late when we just needed some sleep. I couldn't imagine what would happen if I was on my own, couldn't get out of bed, and the nursery was full.
I'm side eyeing any hospital that would put a twin birth c-section mom in a shared room. Of course, my hospital doesn't have a well baby nursery so you automatically room in unless there is a major health problem with the kid.
ETA: I said something similar to jalepeno this fall
I know, right??? But as jalepeno has pointed out, it's considered normal here... Even the patient education hotline lady told me she thought they'd try to get me in a room alone - but the admissions nurse did not seem at all optimistic about that happening, and warned me several times about the possibility of not even being able to get a private room if I'm willing to pay the charge because they're often full.
DH did his residency in NYC. Side eyeing differences between SF area and NYC hospitals is a hobby in our household :-) The judgment can go either way, but the "pay for extra perks that have medical relevance" side of NYC rubbed him wrong. (He's not an OB.)
I'm side eyeing any hospital that would put a twin birth c-section mom in a shared room. Of course, my hospital doesn't have a well baby nursery so you automatically room in unless there is a major health problem with the kid.
ETA: I said something similar to jalepeno this fall
they need a fire Marshall to come in and say max occupancy is 4 people overnight.
I know, right??? But as jalepeno has pointed out, it's considered normal here... Even the patient education hotline lady told me she thought they'd try to get me in a room alone - but the admissions nurse did not seem at all optimistic about that happening, and warned me several times about the possibility of not even being able to get a private room if I'm willing to pay the charge because they're often full.
DH did his residency in NYC. Side eyeing differences between SF area and NYC hospitals is a hobby in our household :-) The judgment can go either way, but the "pay for extra perks that have medical relevance" side of NYC rubbed him wrong. (He's not an OB.)
I guess one could argue that having a private room doesn't necessitate medical relevance.
Disclaimer: I am not arguing this, I am just saying that I could see how the insurance/hospitals could use this as their excuse.
DH did his residency in NYC. Side eyeing differences between SF area and NYC hospitals is a hobby in our household :-) The judgment can go either way, but the "pay for extra perks that have medical relevance" side of NYC rubbed him wrong. (He's not an OB.)
I guess one could argue that having a private room doesn't necessitate medical relevance.
Disclaimer: I am not arguing this, I am just saying that I could see how the insurance/hospitals could use this as their excuse.
Certainly not medically necessary, but recovery from a c-section with twins would be pretty intense and needs a lot of nursing oversight. Good aftercare is important for all new moms and babies. Choosing to room a mom and twins without support and with another new mom and baby based only on financial concerns rather than need is annoying.
But what he'd bitch about are completely different things since he's not an OB. He saw a lot of "pay to play" discrepancies that did affect or reflect on care. For example, referrals and admissions to the inpatient seizure clinic at the hospital where he worked were based almost entirely on $ rather than need. Wealthy, high maintenance, VIP client having trouble sleeping? Let's just check to be sure it isn't a seizure disorder. She should stay at least two weeks. Maybe a month. Non-wealthy client with regular insurance? Only if you've been observed having seizures and you don't really need more than two nights. His complaints were more about pushing extensive and unnecessary services on those who could pay.
His biggest pet peeve was one expensive hospital where the charges were high but he felt like the actual medical care wasn't as good. There was a "not my department. Not my problem." attitude that meant one of his elderly patients who complained of chest pain was ignored until he came on shift and called for an EKG and read it (since no one else had read it - because she was a psych patient so she wasn't their problem). And yes, she'd had a heart attack. Which had been ignored by the internist she'd already seen that day. Because she was a psych patient.
I guess one could argue that having a private room doesn't necessitate medical relevance.
Disclaimer: I am not arguing this, I am just saying that I could see how the insurance/hospitals could use this as their excuse.
Certainly not medically necessary, but recovery from a c-section with twins would be pretty intense and needs a lot of nursing oversight. Good aftercare is important for all new moms and babies. Choosing to room a mom and twins without support and with another new mom and baby based only on financial concerns rather than need is annoying.
But what he'd bitch about are completely different things since he's not an OB. He saw a lot of "pay to play" discrepancies that did affect or reflect on care. For example, referrals and admissions to the inpatient seizure clinic at the hospital where he worked were based almost entirely on $ rather than need. Wealthy, high maintenance, VIP client having trouble sleeping? Let's just check to be sure it isn't a seizure disorder. She should stay at least two weeks. Maybe a month. Non-wealthy client with regular insurance? Only if you've been observed having seizures and you don't really need more than two nights. His complaints were more about pushing extensive and unnecessary services on those who could pay. His biggest pet peeve was one expensive hospital where the charges were high but he felt like the actual medical care wasn't as good. There was a "not my department. Not my problem." attitude that meant one of his elderly patients who complained of chest pain was ignored until he came on shift and called for an EKG and read it (since no one else had read it - because she was a psych patient so she wasn't their problem). And yes, she'd had a heart attack. Which had been ignored by the internist she'd already seen that day. Because she was a psych patient.
This is so heartbreaking. I have never experienced the 1% like I have in my short time here.
I have never experienced the 1% like I have in my short time here.
It is insane. Not just the 1%, but the .1% and the .01%.
I saw an article that the average HHI of a family with kids in Manhattan was $325K. Average. That helped DH's argue we should move back to CA before kids.
I have never experienced the 1% like I have in my short time here.
It is insane. Not just the 1%, but the .1% and the .01%.
I saw an article that the average HHI of a family with kids in Manhattan was $325K. Average. That helped DH's argue we should move back to CA before kids.
NYC is a weird place for sure, especially when we're talking about wealth distribution. We really want to move within the next few years. Y