₦airaland Forum

Violetdaisy:
Hello guys,this forum has been helpful
For my last visa I renewed via Dropbox in Abuja,now I want to renew again via Dropbox.Can I choose Lagos as my pick up location?
Does anyone know?
Thanks

MadameU:
TWoods post=66076889]



Sorry, I opted to respond to you here rather than the US visit visa thread so as not to derail it.

The problem is actually in the links you posted... in the first link, the Maricopa Integrated Healthcare System (MIHS) is clearly identified as a "public, safety-net hospital". Well what does this mean? A safety-net hospital is one that is required to receive Medicaid DSH payments because it serves a high share of low-income patients. See explanation in this link - http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2017/jun/financial-impact-ahca-on-safety-net-hospitals

Now if you go to the MIHS maternity package plan agreement, it very clearly states this - "This plan is limited to Maricopa County residents, and does not have any income requirements." Maricopa county defines residency as "U.S. citizen, or in lawful status, lived in Maricopa County for 50 days, and lived in Arizona for at least one year". You definitely did not qualify to be a resident of the county and thus should have been ineligible for the lower cost package.

As I have mentioned here, much to the chagrin of many, there is a reason "self-pay" costs are low. These hospitals are considered most accessible to low income residents. These hospitals get reimbursed by Medicaid. So even though you are not dependent on Medicaid directly, you are benefiting indirectly.

The VOs know this, considering they also pay for the exact same services... at thousands of dollars more than you are being charged! I don't blame them for being skeptical. You're paying for child delivery services at a rate cheaper than it would cost to spend a night or two in a hospital fixing a broken bone for the average American.

i had mentioned to you earlier i never claimed residency or lived in Maricopa before i contacted the facility, I contacted the hospital from Nigeria and clearly asked if they accepted international patients,to which they responded in the affirmative and sent me the maternity package. We had no discussion on my income furthermore my appointment to see the facility was 2 days after my arrival in the US at the time and theres no way i would have been offered a plan for residents after i had just arrived and without a state ID. i also asked if medicaid was paying any part of the bills and they stated no.see the first page of package plan doc below
however i say it you have your impression and would

gretop:
Good evening my people. Pls I need help and advise. The earliest visa application appointment date I got for my mum today is June 19 (why this far? ) which is close to my wife’s EDD. The plan is for her to travel with my wife first week in June because she has never travelled outside the country before so I am bothered about her travelling on her own. Is there anything I can do to get an earlier appointment date? Can you pls advise me on what to do?

Petdaughter:
Thank you very much. Pls was there any baggage allowance for your baby?

overlord77:
Try Abuja, Lagos is always over booked .

zannie:
Only 10kg. Useless people. I thought it was 23kg. Delta is not just it

Saldway:
Or would it be better the lady that had her baby in maripoca writes the consular officer before reapplying? It could be possible the various hospitals give discounts to attract more patients, as there could be stiff competition in this regard. Besides, cash is king! Instead of haggling with insurance companies which is the order of the day. Let all just hope and pray dem VOs' understand.

jbikes:
Thanks for your response Omo God bless but.My to expire visa is medical B2 and from my understanding on Dropbox you will renew base on ur expired visa.and my contact then was my doctor .so now I want to renew via drop box for medical as expired and am not pregnant which contact will i use? That was why I sent mail to bizzle6 since she renewed same way to help.

Saldway:
Or would it be better the lady that had her baby in maripoca writes the consular officer before reapplying? It could be possible the various hospitals give discounts to attract more patients, as there could be stiff competition in this regard. Besides, cash is king! Instead of haggling with insurance companies which is the order of the day. Let all just hope and pray dem VOs' understand.

gretop:
Thank you for your quick response. But pls is it possible to change appointment location from lagos to Abuja after picking a date in Lagos?

Bussbee:
Wch location did u choose on ur DS160 form?? If it was lagos n u have already submitted ur form.. I would "suggest" u fill another DS160 form n choose abuja.. cos if u change only ur appointment location from Lagos to Abuja, I "feel" ur current Ds160 would not be acknowledged at the Abuja embassy but rather Lagos where u chose.
So again, I would suggest u fill another form as soon as possible but check first the earliest appointment date in Abuja b4 anything else.. cos it changes every sec

anunimorigba:
In my opinion, I think it was easy for former MIHS Int’l patients simply cos the Obama administration was friendly towards immigrants, birth tourism, etc. It is now difficult cos Trump isn’t as we all know. They look for the flimsiest excuse to reject visa applications now.

If the OP, signed the residents contract unknowingly, then she’s in for it. Let’s also be aware that u can get a zero balance from the hospital but still have some kind of medic aid pay for the difference. My advice is, we should always still call after a little while to ascertain our hospital account status.

ladeonas:
congratulations

bizzle6:
hiya just seeing this, I haven't really got a hang of how nairaland emails work. I just did the regular drop box and got an email a few days later saying I should pick up the my passport.

ozymes:
Check your box

Kayjay23:
Hello everyone.

Please has anyone tried to schedule a 221g follow up appointment very recently? I have tried in the last three days without any success.

The appointment calender just comes out blank without any dates or time. I have emailed the US embassy in Abuja, the support centre and also contacted the call centre. Still no progress.

Please are there any other suggestions on what I can possibly do? Many thanks.

Bussbee:
Wch location did u choose on ur DS160 form?? If it was lagos n u have already submitted ur form.. I would "suggest" u fill another DS160 form n choose abuja.. cos if u change only ur appointment location from Lagos to Abuja, I "feel" ur current Ds160 would not be acknowledged at the Abuja embassy but rather Lagos where u chose.
So again, I would suggest u fill another form as soon as possible but check first the earliest appointment date in Abuja b4 anything else.. cos it changes every sec

Bussbee:
Wch location did u choose on ur DS160 form?? If it was lagos n u have already submitted ur form.. I would "suggest" u fill another DS160 form n choose abuja.. cos if u change only ur appointment location from Lagos to Abuja, I "feel" ur current Ds160 would not be acknowledged at the Abuja embassy but rather Lagos where u chose.
So again, I would suggest u fill another form as soon as possible but check first the earliest appointment date in Abuja b4 anything else.. cos it changes every sec

gretop:
Thanks for the info. I did fill another DS160 form with abuja as location. Unfortunately for me, the next available date in Abuja is 1st of August which is was too far. So I’m sticking to the Lagos June 20. My mum will have to join her after some weeks.

Mamaiyanu:
@omobendel24 @bussbee I don't think so. See screenshot below from their website

gretop:
Thanks for the info. I did fill another DS160 form with abuja as location. Unfortunately for me, the next available date in Abuja is 1st of August which is was too far. So I’m sticking to the Lagos June 20. My mum will have to join her after some weeks.

simbolee:
Maybe it's an oversight on the VOs part. Most hospitals always have self pay patients and it's cheaper too. Had my baby in 2016 and I got the below pricelist 2 months before I had my LO. Infact I kept asking if it wasn't Medicaid and they said NO. They even highlighted it before sending it.

CheeseMama:
Hi and congrats on your baby and successful trip. Just had my baby at HNWMC a few days ago. please how did you expedite birth certificate? I've filed the info with the hospital but they said it would take 2-3 weeks. i have just a month till we leave. Also which Pediatrician did you see for your follow up appointment? I have an estimate of 150usd for first visit alone and I'm booked for Monday.

Testimonytime:
Pls house

Has anybody gone through dropbox and got a 221G letter to schedule a follow up appointment and had difficulty in scheduling same for ONE MONTH due to date not comming up AT ALL on CGI Portal?

Hiya, email ustraveldocs with a copy of your passport bio-data page and a copy of the 221g letter that was sent to you. That way they should be able to respond to you faster.

Cheers!

Testimonytime:
Pls dear, notice you were in my shoes, how did you sort this issue of blank dates? Iv been on it since March 1st, my hubby has schedule and since gone for his own appointment while my appointment is still blank. Pls help.

Kayjay23:
Hi dear,
I have replied. Please check.

CheeseMama:
Hello everyone, i've been a silent reader on here for a while now. Thanks to the info i gathered from here i was able to make an informed decision so i hope i can help someone else.

VISA
I renewed my visa in March 2017 for a trip in August 2017, however i found out i was pregnant in July 2017. Since i wanted to have my baby in the US, i decided to combine the trip and so i planned to travel in February. I sent the change of intent notification email to the embassy, got the generic response and printed both.

DECIDING ON A DR
I set my sights on Houston as i have a very good friend here and started the search for a Dr. I got a lot of names of Drs from this thread and googled them, checked their ratings and the ratings of the hospitals they had privileges with. Also considered distance of the hospital from my accommodation. Distance knocked off most of the hospitals in the Sugarland area. Eventually decided on Dr. Xydas and HNWMC. I got his office number from a google search and called them. I was able to get a quote and information from the hospital from the Practice Manager. I was scheduled for an appointment about 3 days after my arrival and was advised that I would make full payment of $2000 at my first visit.

FLIGHT
I booked my flight on Lufthansa from ABJ-IAH scheduled to travel at 34 + 4 weeks. Though i had fit to fly from my Dr, it wasn't even looked at and i was sent to port health. The lady took my BP and temperature and asked for date of LMP which she used to calculate my EDD. She didnt measure me at all. Issued the fit to fly and charged me 2k. The flight from ABJ - Frankfurt wasn't bad, slept mostly but made sure i got up to walk around as i had edema. In flight entertainment wasn't all that, but the food was not bad at all. Based on advice i had seen here i booked mobility assistance at Frankfurt airport and Houston as well. Turned out to be a blessing, the connection at Frankfurt required a very long walk and short train ride. We changed electric cars and had to wait quite a bit at some points but it was worth it. The frankfurt to Houston leg was very uncomfortable for me, i regretted not paying the extra $65 for a seat with more leg room but i also made sure to take frequent walking breaks. This is very important please, i'd also advise travelling expectant mothers to get compression stockings as the threat of deep vein thrombosis is real especially for those with edema. Filled landing card on the plane declaring my cash and the food items i carried.

HOUSTON POE
I had wheelchair assistance and the queue was very short, waited in line for about 5 mins before i was called.
CBP: Why are you here?
ME: I'm here to have my baby
CBP: Where will you be staying?
(I gave the address)
CBP: What hospital will you be using?
ME: HNWMC
CBP: I see you have declared about $15k cash, do you have proof the money was drawn from your account?
ME: Yes i have my bank statements
CBP: You've declared some food items, do you have Maggi cubes? (very random)
ME: No.
He asks me to fingerprint and takes my picture, then calls another officer to take me to secondary inspection. There i waited for about 15 minutes before another officer calls me. He asks to see the cash, I give it to him but he doesn't count it. he then advised me not to accept any insurance/medicaid and also to make sure I carry all my receipts with me on subsequent visits to the US. None of my documents were asked for. I was stamped in for 6 months. He then asks another officer to escort me to Customs to fill a form for the cash.

At customs we pick up my bags first which are screened. Yams, broom and kilishi are seized. Plantain chips, pepper, dates, tiger nuts and pepper soup spices made it through. (Btw in the last minute rush at the airport in Abuja my husband mistakenly packs in a pack of small chops into my box, of course it had spoilt by the time we got to Houston and it was a laugh trying to explain what it was and how it got there. The guy attributed it to being a hormonal pregnant lady i guess but i had no issues. Just noted it so we can pay extra attention to what finds it way into our boxes). i eventually filled the form for the money and finally left the airport over 2 hours after landing. I tipped the guy from mobility assistance because he was a lifesaver frankly, from helping me get my bags to managing the baggage trolley and wheelchair.

DR's APPT
I had my first appointment today. Though initially scheduled for Tuesday i called to reschedule as i wanted to meet with Dr. Xydas himself. I paid the Drs fee in full. They took samples for some tests and also did an ultrasound. Scheduled for a follow up next week.

HNWMC is just across the road so i walked over to pre-register and pay hospital bill. I didnt take enough money to pay for the hospital fees in full but they took a deposit and i will pay the balance at the next visit. When i got home I noticed something in the billing paper work they gave me about not being entitled to an itemised bill which i intend to thrash out with them next week. Got all the information for paediatrician, pathologists and anaesthesiology. I was advised to call and confirm their fees. Paediatrician has a package for early self pay patients which is valid for 30 days from delivery date, they emphasised that i mention the name of the package when i call to pay.

Also my husband applied for his visa just before i left but was denied. He applied for a regular B1/B2 visa for vacation, was asked barely any questions and documents were not checked. He has good travel history. Now i'm here he will reapply again and see if that changes anything.

All in all, i've had a good experience thus far. Only thing is the hospital is quite far from where i'm staying. Uber/Lyft cost me over $80 today. The good thing is i'm saving accommodation costs so it balances out. I have made a mental note to leave as early as possible for the hospital on d-day. I did notice an InTown suites close to the hospital though.

So thats it. Now we wait.