Self-Pay Clients
MBC works frequently with self-pay clients, including those who participate in medical cost-sharing groups. We offer a 15% prompt pay discount off the billed amount for any client who is self-pay.
Our Financial Policy for Self-Pay Clients
Overview
At Minnesota Birth Center (MBC), self-pay clients are asked to pre-pay anticipated costs for care by 32 weeks of pregnancy. If you plan to birth at one of our birth centers, a down payment will also be collected for your baby’s anticipated care.
How Prepayment Works
- Funds are held as a credit in your MBC account
- Claims are processed and payments drawn from your prepayment
- Refunds are issued if you’ve overpaid at the end of care
- Additional charges are billed if you’ve underpaid (e.g., for extra care during pregnancy)
Why We Do This
Prepaying reduces the number of bills you’ll receive after your baby arrives, allowing you to focus on your new family. Prepaying the majority of your out-of-pocket costs reduces the burden of dealing with larger medical bills after your baby arrives and helps our small business by ensuring we receive prompt payment for services rendered.
What to Expect When Establishing Care
Financial Contract
Before your first visit, you’ll receive a self-pay financial contract showing your prepayment amount.
Cost of Care Estimate
We’ll also send you a Cost of Care estimate (similar to this example) that you can use for reimbursement with a cost-sharing ministry, if applicable.
Payment Plan
- Complete your contract no later than your second visit.
- Choose your payment method:
- One lump sum
- Multiple prepayments
- All payments must be made by 32 weeks.
Frequently Asked Billing Questions (Self-Pay Clients)
Cost & Payments
What can I expect my costs for care will be?
MBC is happy to work with clients who do not have insurance and clients who utilize a medical cost sharing group. While we’d love to give you an exact quote, the amount that you will ultimately pay for your birth is dependent on the care you receive over the course of your pregnancy and birth.
As a self-pay client, you will receive a “Cost of Care Estimate” similar to this example, which would reflect a 15% prompt pay discount from the amount we typically bill for services. You can use this document as a starting point for reimbursement with your cost-sharing group.
Remember that the Cost of Care Estimate is for routine care at MBC. It does not include the cost of problem visits, non-routine care, labs (typically sent to Quest Diagnostics), or any care received at Abbott or United Hospitals or another facility outside of MBC. These businesses will bill you directly.
MBC’s providers are committed to practicing evidence-based care and will only assess, test, and treat when medically indicated.
How does MBC compare to the cost of a hospital birth?
Birth centers are usually a more cost-effective option than hospitals. Healthy people giving birth in a birth center avoid the routine use of advanced technology and interventions that may not be necessary for normal physiologic birth. Those giving birth at Minnesota Birth Center receive skilled, continuous care and labor support from our midwives and nurses. Research has shown that continuous labor support and care in a freestanding birth center decrease the need for costly medical interventions like epidural anesthesia and cesarean sections.
Read “Outcomes of Care in Birth Centers: Demonstration of a Durable Model” in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’ Health.
Transfers & Changes in Care
What happens if I transfer out of your practice prenatally?
If you want or need to transfer out of MBC care, our Billing team will be notified. We will bill you for the care you’ve received thus far and apply your prepayment. Any additional amount you owe will be billed to you, or any amount you’ve overpaid will be refunded.
What happens if I need or want to transfer to the hospital in labor?
In instances of transfer to the hospital, your billing would reflect the care you received at the Minnesota Birth Center, as well as any care our midwives provided at the hospital. If you transfer to the hospital in labor, you will not be charged by MBC for any baby care, because the hospital and their providers will charge for these services. Note that a facility fee would be charged by both MBC and the transferring hospital. As with a birth center birth, we will process your claims and apply your prepayment to those costs. Any amount leftover will be refunded to you, or any additional amount owed will be billed to you.
Insurance & Coverage
Does my baby need insurance? How do I obtain insurance for my baby?
If you birth at the Minnesota Birth Center, your baby will receive care from our team. If you intend to be self-pay for your baby’s care, those anticipated costs will be reflected in your financial contract and total prepayment amount.
If you plan to add your baby to a commercial or state insurance policy, it’s recommended to reach out to the entity providing the insurance to learn what’s required to get coverage for your baby. We ask that you give us the details of your baby’s coverage no later than 30 days after the birth so that we can submit their claims for care, and so this cost does not fully fall to you.