starafricababy: Hello Forum members! Thank you for all your help with your valuable information. I am contributing my feedback since I found invaluable all the information I found on this forum and wish to add to the value that this thread offers to all.

I have just registerred in El Paso, TX, first because of the recommendations provided on this website, and second because of my research with regard to Doctores Para Ti and Maricoma specifically since these seem to be the prevailing clinics. I will note that my prefference my be different than others since the reasons for my decision may not have the same importance to other members.

Communication. When I contacted both places either by telephone or email, El Paso seemed to respond to my telephone/email immediately. Maricoma was very difficult talking or getting back a response by email.
Doctors. I was informed that Phoenix worked with resident doctors and El Paso with private doctors.
Specialized Service. The service offerred at Phoenix was "as is", I was a bit more attracted by a El Paso given that, as many have pointed out, it is package that is specialized for international patients.
Quality. I looked up both hospitals on Healthgrades.com. Maricoma, had 1 star in maternity services (lowest rating) and Del Sol Medical Center, the hospital for Doctores para ti, had 5 stars in maternity services (highest rating).

Healthgrades.com
Maricoma http://www.healthgrades.com/hospital-directory/arizona-az/maricopa-medical-center-hgst020b7b36030022#Ratings

Del Sol Medical http://www.healthgrades.com/hospital-directory/texas-tx-central/del-sol-medical-center-hgst193bc8b6450646#Ratings

As I mentioned this was only -my- criteria and other members may have their own criteria. I have enrolled and will be back to post my experience once my baby is born in November.

@starafricababy around when are you traveling to El Paso?

VisaOfficer:

I think if she's already been asked and answered yes, it isn't necessary to contact the Embassy.

Many thanks

VisaOfficer:

Well, we do take a dim view of visa holders using U.S. Government money to pay their hospital bills... but the fact is that it was legal in the state she was in. I think that the fact that she notified the Embassy will be a point in her favor, too. I think she should just look the officer in the eye and tell the truth -- IF the officer asks her about the birth and who paid for it. (I also kind of think she shouldn't just volunteer that information unless she's asked... that's my personal opinion, not my professional one.) It shouldn't be a total disqualification, anyway. Please let us know what happens.

Hello Visa Officer and an excellent job you've done so far!
My question is if one wasn't pregnant at the time of visa interview but was asked anyway if one would like to give birth in the US should one become pregnant and answered yes, is it still necessary to contact the embassy before travelling? If so how should one make the contact ?

Mrs Bee:
Hi everyone, can't stop laughing at all d comments. Me am fine oh still in nigeria in fact I dey hospital bed had some crazy premature contractions coupled with malaria but The Lord is in control I have warned dis baby not to port in Nigeria oh abeg after all my efforts. BT I leave sept4 by the special grace of God. All d comments here ehn got me seriously laffing at least it has lifted my spirit abit.

Thank God oo . No naija porting IJN. It is well with you.

tteam: hello everyone.
this thread has been the most informative ever. I commend you all.
about MHIS, i just confirmed that the cost on the site is exactly all that is required and i would be travelling there in october to have my baby. Any to-be-mums travelling there around this time should signify so we form our own forum and if possible meet there, shop together and hang out.

Nice idea. Let another forum for people going to El Paso be formed too o.

bettymafy:

I sure say the babe don reach Phoenix tey tey. . .

Phoenix all the way

bettymafy: Enough already ooo! There is no right or wrong in this. We are all learning.

Can we move forward now? Thank you.

By the way, where is MrsB?

Yea Mrs Bee we miss you oooo. What's the update...

bettymafy:

Sorry bro, I still donot understand. Could u please explain using this example?

Let's say, I am given a 3month visa which starts counting from the month it was issued (august)and will be expiring in november and I need to travel that november for birthing purpose and intend staying till january cos my EDD (expected date of delivery) is in december and I will have to take a month to process d necessary document before travelling. . . .

Now, at the port of entry, the period of my stay will be stamped on my form but this period MUST be within the period the visa is valid (August to november). How do I stay till january without getting into trouble and incuring the 10year overstaying ban?

Bettymafy what he tried to explain is that even though you travel in November when you visa expires, say on the last day of the visa validity, then 'technically' the CBP officer at the POE can decide to still give you a stay of six months which lasts till May the following year. This is going by the policy of visa validity being mutually exclusive of the I-94 stay. But that's only as technical as it gets, the CBP officer often looks at the visa expiry date and may not issue the I-94 stay beyond that date.

[quote author=hardeymijuh]

@Bamboke,
Thanks. You are really right about it. The person may be a family member, a friend, colleague, or even your BOSS....

Hmmm. You're not far from the truth either

vivianobas:

hi fabulousmom or whatever your name is, permit me to enlighten you that some people do not even request for social security card until later or when their babies are old enough to do that themselves. Are you telling me such people cannot bring their babies back to Nigeria? Requesting for your baby's social security number at birth is a thing of choice that is why there is an option for you to say yes or no. In some cities in the US it takes up to 1 month to get your social security card mailed to you and even the authority knows this. For you to come up here and say I am misleading people is so disheartening as I have tried in my little way to help everyone that seek information from me.

If I may ask, how many people have you provided the so called genuine first hand information at your disposal to? Your ranting is the least of my problem now. Direct your energy at helping all those needing help and not coming here to antagonize people who try to help. If you think or ever believed it is only Nigerian passport you can acquire without social security number, then you have been wrong all along as I got my baby's US passport without a social security number.

Thanks so much Labella12 and Hardeymijuh for coming to my rescue from the so called guru on US delivery matters LOL. I am still available for enquiries 24/7.

Hello all,
First of all let me take this opportunity to say this forum has been of immense help to many of us and to me in particular . Fabulousmom, Vivianobas, labella12 and the rest, your contributions and advice on this thread has been undoubtedly useful in one way or the other. And even though the altercations has not been anticipated amongst such a 'family' as ours, it has happened to bring out even the best for us all.
I have been in personal contact with a few contributors on this thread and can say that they are indeed great personalities. Please let's look beyond our differences - what someone say and how it was said- and look at the greater benefit for us all. Even if these information are irrelevant to some people, it could be a life saver for others. And it's indeed a small world and you never know who you are talking to on the other side of the thread .
I'd like all parties to say to make a solidarity post in order to further strengthen the discussions here. One love

hardeymijuh: @ All,

another advise espescially for those of us that cannot cope with cold, please check what the temperature will look like during your stay.

i intend travellng in December, just compared both temperatures (Phonix and El-Paso)...

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....i comment my reserve......

http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/arizona/phoenix/index_centigrade.htm for Phoenix

http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/texas/el-paso/index_centigrade.htm for El Paso


It is well ooooo

Good thinking. So if you are traveling in December, where there would be white Xmas is anyone's guess

bettymafy:

Any family there?

No family

bettymafy:

Chei! I lost the debate. Vivian beat me hands down.

Ok ok, I think it was a little easy for u cos u had family around and the only thing u had to worry about was the hospital bill.
You will agree with me that some other services (accommodation and nanny) are not easily accessible in MIHS. Looks like one has to be on ground to get these things in order.

I hope u know I'm not trying to discredit the invaluable info u have given us in any way. We are most grateful for that. Just trying to weigh options, so we go with the best convenient deal. Please stick around. Might have some specific questions for u. Gracias!

@Bamakoe, which person side u dey sef?

@ bettymafy I'm only enjoying the debate and I see that everyone has good reasons on both side. It's left for each person to decide I've long settled for El Paso though

vivianobas:

I do not need to convince anybody as we are all entitled to our beliefs and options. I was originally meant to have delivered in San Diego, California but changed my mind when I visited MIHS and thank God I was not disappointed. I have over 5 personal friends who delivered in MIHS without any complaints of any kind, so why worry myself over some people coming to nairaland to procrastinate over where to deliver and where not to. I delivered March 8th and got all my baby's documents in 3 weeks - Birth certificate after 3 days, American Passport after 9 working days of submission at the court, and Social Security card after 3 weeks of delivery. What more can I ask from an hospital who made my delivery exceptional, a City that provided afordability and a State laying claim to my son for life? No one can convince me otherwise cos if I have to go through it all, I will still choose MIHS. Finito!

On point

bettymafy: Now, let us compare and contrast. . .

Overall, MIHS seem to be cheaper than Doctoresparati by about 300k, but Doctoresparati services seem to be more easily accessible and straightforward. One can easily get a shortlet accommodation and a nanny which u can book for on the hospital's website. They reply mails promptly and have good customer service too.

They have a very good understanding of out of town birthing, as that is what they majorly do and can guide one on how to get the documentations of the baby faster.

Furthermore, no one has come here to say the Hospital charged them more than the quoted amount. But some people claim to have been overcharged at MIHS. That places Elpaso on a higher pedestal.

Sometimes, its not all about the money. Convenience and good services matter too, especially if you are a first time mum without any family in the US, moreso, when you don't have much travel experience.

Conclusively, if u want an affordable package with less inconvenience, use Elpaso, if u want cheap package with some inconvenience use MIHS.

I hope with these few points of mine, I've been able to convince you and not confuse you that the decision is entirely yours.

*Oh, how I miss those debate days*

Exactly my thoughts

hardeymijuh:

@ bamboke,

Yes oooooo. El Paso and MIHS...slightly moving towards MIHS...my concern is evn more on getting the documents as fast as possibe after delivery.

Have you confirm your flight bookings and accomodtions?

@hardeymijuh,
Mine is leaning towards El Paso. Bookings and accommodations soon to be confirmed

hardeymijuh: Happy Sunday and Happy New Week....
Stumbled on this site while carrying out my research...
http://www.salon.com/2013/07/01/the_high_cost_of_giving_birth_in_the_u_s/

See extract from the article.....

Giving birth in the United States is far more expensive than in other countries, and the additional cost does not appear to come with additional benefits — Americans do not have more access to care or better access to care than citizens in other developed nations, according to an analysis from the New York Times.
This is an unusual model among other countries, as the Times notes:

Only in the United States is pregnancy generally billed item by item, a practice that has spiraled in the past decade, doctors say. No item is too small. Charges that 20 years ago were lumped together and covered under the general hospital fee are now broken out, leading to more bills and inflated costs. There are separate fees for the delivery room, the birthing tub and each night in a semiprivate hospital room, typically thousands of dollars. Even removing the placenta can be coded as a separate charge…

Add up the bills, and the total is startling. “We’ve created incentives that encourage more expensive care, rather than care that is good for the mother,” said Maureen Corry, the executive director of Childbirth Connection.

And the already high cost is going up, as the analysis shows:

From 2004 to 2010, the prices that insurers paid for childbirth — one of the most universal medical encounters — rose 49 percent for vaginal births and 41 percent for Caesarean sections in the United States, with average out-of-pocket costs rising fourfold, according to a recent report by Truven that was commissioned by three health care groups. The average total price charged for pregnancy and newborn care was about $30,000 for a vaginal delivery and $50,000 for a C-section, with commercial insurers paying out an average of $18,329 and $27,866, the report found.

Women with insurance pay out of pocket an average of $3,400, according to a survey by Childbirth Connection, one of the groups behind the maternity costs report. Two decades ago, women typically paid nothing other than a small fee if they opted for a private hospital room or television.

Some hospitals are now offering package deals as an alternative to the fee per service model, including the Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Az., which charges $3,850 for a vaginal delivery and $5,600 for a planned C-section, inclusive of doctor’s fees. It’s a model that progressive policy groups are hoping will be emulated elsewhere.

And new requirements under the Affordable Care Act will help more women access maternity coverage, which should help reduce the financial burden for more new mothers.

Goodluck in your decision making.......as for me am still .........

hardeymijuh:

@ Bamboke,

I will confirm anyway, seems you have settled for El Paso, when are you traveling? Flight arrangements,nice if you get a place close to the hospital probably same where fabulousmum stayed.

I still have till October to finalize my plans, wish you the best and always keep us updated.

I'm travelling around late august or early september. Will be doing flight arrangements and accomodation in the coming week

fabulousmom:

@Bamakoe, you are most welcome. You can drop your email address, so that I can send comprehensive details, no matter how minute, most especially details on the documents you'll need to process after giving birth to your baby. I wish you the very best in this endeavour. I'm glad I could be of help.

ok im going to send you a message on nairaland. please repond

hardeymijuh:
@ Bamboke, I expect it to be a furnished apartment with utilities, but will send them a mail to confirm.

You could also check the website http://www.monterraapartmenthomes.com/ or other apartments around that area.

regds

@ haedeymijuh
i actually went through the website before my last post. i didnt see it say 'furnished' so i assumed it wasnt . i also saw something about lease

fabulousmom:

@Bamakoe, the accommodation was just opposite the hospital where I delivered, but it wasn't a walking distance, because the road demarcating them from each other is an highway one is not expected to try to cross. By car, the delivery hospital was just about 2 mins drive from the hotel, and about 5 mins drive from the hospital where I had my pre-natal appointments and check-ups. The website provides a section where you can find female help if you have no one to help during the course of your stay. You are to pay the person by the hour. As per moving around, that was an extra addition to my expenses, as I had to rent a car for the period of my stay. I rented from enterprise.

Awesome !!! thanks for the prompt response. Having weighed in on the options I'll stick to your plan. Im due to travel soon and any other useful info is welcome

hardeymijuh: Thanks all for your wonderful contributions, there are very useful at these times.

For those interested in going to MIHS Phoenix, am researching on apartments close to the hospital, stumbled on www.apartmentguide.com and found Monterra Apartments, abt 2 mins drive/12 mins walk to the hospital. Prices ranges from $570 - $750 per mth.still searching though....trust naija pple...we no dey carry last, we must find a cheap and affordable apartment cos money no easy oooo

Goodluck with our search and decision making....For those leaving soon, please remember to share your experiences, good, bad and ugly make we all learn..

Have a lovely weekend

Good job! but i guess that would be without utilities and there has to be a minimum lease plus is it furnished?

fabulousmom: Hello y'all,
I am a new mom who gave birth to my wonderful little boy in El Paso, TX through "www.doctoresparati.com" I saw the website link on this forum and browsed through the site. My desires and interest in giving birth abroad was instantly renewed and rejuvenated by what I saw on that site. At last, for the first time since my unending search, I finally found a site with specific hospital bills! Amazing! I contacted the clinic, spoke to wonderful people & paid a bill of $150 upfront, as proof that I'd be coming to give birth, to encourage them set up an appointment for me with my ob/gyn. I had my US visa even before I got married, so US visa was not my problem. I left Nigeria when I was 35 weeks pregnant with the following documents: 1)medical report certifying that it's safe for me to fly; 2)a printed receipt from doctoresparati for the $150 paid, which also stated the balance left; 3)a letter of medical responsibility that doctoresparati makes available after the $150 has been paid, and; 4)proof of availability of the remaining hospital bills. i also made sure I hid my pregnancy well in a free maternity top, despite the fact that I had all those supporting documents. At the point of entry, my pregnancy wasn't noticed, so the officer at the border didnt ask questions pertaining to it, hence making useless all documents I had with me (which made things easy for me, by the way). The officer only asked what I was coming in to do in the US and I answered tourism as usual, as it was not my first or second time going to the US. Hospital bills overall cost $5755 (including circumcision, pediatrician fees, and lab test cost. The hotel I stayed was recommended by doctoresparati. It's intown suites. Great place. Self-catering. It cost $170 weekly. I stayed for a total of 10 weeks. I bought cooking utensils to make feeding easy for myself. I went with my mom, so I didnt have to hire any help. It cost me only her flight ticket fare and her feeding expenses. As at the time I went, which was in April 2013, my flight fee cost about N280,000. Double that, that's what it cost to take dear mother along. She also had her visa already. My ob/gyn was so nice! Nice is an understatement! I enjoyed everything related to my pregnancy & birth! I had epidural and it was already included in the hospital package fee. I will definitely visit El Paso to have my next baby! I hope this information helps someone.

Great ! Thanks for sharing
How far was the accomodation from the hospital and how did u transport yourself around. Any form of help available in case one does not have family around to take ones's care? Also how did the baby's passport, visa and birth cert. go?

WudBMother: I am not trying to advertise any hospital. Just that in my experience, the hospitals have their charges and physicians have theirs as well.

I paid separate fees for Hospital and physician.

2 of my friends just delivered in TX and the hospital charges were USD2500 and USD 2800 (different hospitals) but they still paid physicians fees and epidural.

My sister is currently in Altanta and it's same thing. Hospital fees different and physicians fee different.

MHIS and Doctoresparati are the first I would hear of that have all encompassing fees.

Which ever you chose, try to get an apartment close to the hospital , otherwise you might spend a lot on taxis and car rental

I wish you good luck in your delivery.

Please

Thanks

vivianobas:

Hi Betty,

My name is Vivian and I can authoritatively tell you and every other person on this forum that I had my baby at MIHS and the experience was wonderful. I paid $2,888 during signing of the contract and didn't get any additional bill after delivery. For delivering without complications, I got a rebate of $250 4 weeks after delivery. I paid $260 for my baby's circumcision and also had to pay another $70 for additional pediatric checkup for my baby before we came back to Nigeria.

I even requested for a letter from the hospital stating that my account was at zero balance and they obliged me. So for anyone to come here and state the opposite is sad and disheartening. I cannot even begin to mention all the free stuffs I got from the hospital before and after delivery.

They don't lie and I can convincingly tell you that what you see is what you get and much more. I was there in March 2013 and to the best of my knowledge, they are still the way I left them in April 2012.

Thanks Vivian

That was re assuring!

hardeymijuh:

@ WubMother,
Can you shed more light on this info? Did you use the hospital or did you get the information from another source?
Someone please help us ooo...Make we know whether to port or not oooooo

so where are u currently and where are you porting to

WudBMother: Just to give an insight.
The fees on the MIHS site is for the hospital only, your payments may increase because you would pay physician and test fees
So go there with a lot more money that what is stated there, or go to El Paso

What's your source please? We keep getting conflicting reports on MIHS

bettymafy:

I think she means doctoresparati in Elpaso.

Me too but could be nice if she says it. This is an open forum

bettymafy:

Please, how much was the total cost of delivery at Maricopa?

These hospitals are something else. They quote one thing on their website, when u get there it becomes a different ball game entirely. One has to be very careful when choosing a hospital.

Doctoresparati still remains one of the few that have every little detail laid out on their site with testimonies to attest to that.

My thoughts exactly

Sta8narrow: Thank you all for such valuable information. I am in the process of having my second baby in the U.S. and thank all for the info. I do have to mention that my first baby I had at the hospital mentioned above (Maricopa Integrated) and the price came out much different than what they first quoted (the prices shown above were the prices quoted to me as well). Which is the reason I am here and appreciate the members of this forum for their valuable information. I think I have made up my mind but please do your research ladies, the price quote at Maricoma is incomplete and I was very stressed at the surprise I got when there. Please note: all services are not included
although it looks that way. I do not want to get into details because I dont think it was their fault either since I think most hospitals would quote in the same manner.

Ok thanks for the info. So like how much extra did u get to pay more and where do u plan to have your second baby in the US

Mamacita007:

Everything is fine & hot here. rooms go fast so u need to make up ur mind early or else its gone. ive been here for 5 months as a student in ASU.

Ok thanks. Please respond to your email

Mamacita007:

click rentals at the top right of d page & search for short term leases. you will find furnished rooms for lease. you can still check craigslist, thats where i found my room but be very careful. azcentral is the main classified ad for phoenix.

Ok thanks that's helpful. How was ur xperience with your rental then and how long was it for?