Some expectant parents asked to pre-pay

KFF Health News reported on a practice where some obstetrics practices will ask patients to prepay for care. One of the nuances is that providers bundle the billing for prenatal care, labor, and delivery, meaning that the final bill does not get settled until after the baby is born and that the bill tends to be larger because so many services are bundled. It appears that this practice grew out of concern for maternal health when people observed that some mothers skipped important care during pregnancy in order to avoid paying co-pays.

Understandably, providers want to ensure that they are paid for their services, and arranging prepayment helps ensure that. It is also understandable why patients might be upset at being asked for prepayment. Among other reasons, asking for prepayment implies some doubt that the patient will pay what is due.