I know I’ve talked about nothing but baby talk the last few days, but you’ll have to excuse me for that. It’s the only thing that’s on my mind constantly, and I’ve realized how much I have to do!
A couple of friends have suggested that instead of setting up an account with the hospital we check out Maternity Advantage because supposedly they save you 30-50% off your final bill, then they setup payments for you. I requested some info a few days ago, and today I got a package in the mail.
It took all of 2 seconds for me to say no way am I falling for this total ripoff! First of all there’s a start up fee and monthly fees. I knew there would be fees involved, but I wasn’t expecting what I found. The packet didn’t list the fees, so a quick Google search pointed me towards $100/month fees with $199 startup fee.
I’m sorry but that’s not really saving me anything at all is it? The company claims they may be able to save me 30-50% on my hospital bills, but there’s no solid guarantee they can do that. Why would I pay them $1099 over the 9 month period when I can put that $1099 towards my account at the hospital? Better yet since I’m paying out of pocket why don’t I use that $1099 towards my prenatal care right now while I need it? That’s just for the first 9 months. I’m assuming (even though it doesn’t say) that the fee also applies every month until you pay off the account.
I honestly think I’ll save more by setting things up with the hospital ahead of time. They offer a sliding scale system that charges based on your income level, and there is little to no interest depending on the type of account we setup. I’m going to be spending enough money as it is, so why in the world would I want to throw away so much cash for a program that really guarantees me nothing?
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2 Responses for "Maternity Advantage: I Smell Ripoff"
I think you should take a look at all the information and consider the information. You set up something at the hospital, do you know what they are going to charge you? How about $100 for a box of Kleenex? It happens and having something like the MA can keep that from happening to you. The biggest ‘advantage’ is that they keep more of your money in your pocket! To date, your’s is the only neutral to negative review I’ve read, and I’ve searched the internet looking for negative reviews. Also, you pay $199 up front but have the option of paying $500 within 30 days and you won’t have to pay $1198. There’s no escaping astronomical birth costs, but if you CAN save money…Why not?
First of all I think YOU should take a look at the information before basically repeating the exact same spiel the salesman tried to use to sell this crap to me. Every single time I called Maternity Advantage to get information this same speech was used. If I asked a question it was repeated!
I don’t know what internet you’re searching on when a quick Google search for “Maternity Advantage Scam” brings up hundreds of comments from people who have actually been scammed by the service. These people aren’t like me at all because I didn’t actually sign up for the company and lose money before being scammed. It’s kind of hard to miss all these negative reviews, so apparently you’re not looking very hard.
Yes a hospital can charge you outrageous costs, $100 for a box of Kleenex, $100 for a Band-aid, but in the end I know where my money is going. It’s not going into the pocket of someone who owns a company that is scamming millions of innocent pregnant women with no other option.
I can put that $500 or $1198 towards my actual hospital bill…a bill that is greatly discounted already because I’m a cash only customer. In fact our hospital system uses a sliding scale for cash customers, and because of our income level we will only pay 30% of our entire bill…much less than Maternity Advantage could supposedly save us after months of hassle. Our OB/GYN charges a flat rate to cash customers that is substantially less than the insured price.
Many people have complained that hospitals and doctors won’t even accept the MA card any longer, and all claims have to be submitted on their own. When they do submit them they receive months of run around until MA finally claims the forms were never received. Taking care of a newborn takes up enough of a family’s time, and there’s absolutely no reason a family should have to spend their time with the hassle of a company that is scamming them.
Oh, and how do I know for sure it’s a scam? What real company offering a discount card is going to try to claim that you need to hurry and sign up because cards are extremely limited? That’s a big scam red flag right there. The bottom line is if it wasn’t a scam the company wouldn’t keep changing the name of the “program” after receiving tons of negative feedback, and the Attorney General of Texas wouldn’t be so eager to take action!
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