A moral dilemma about finding an OBGYN

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Agnes91

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I just moved to a new area and am still on my parents health insurance until I get married in the fall. I would like to go to an OBGYN because I have never been to one before and I think it is important to find one pre wedding day because I could potentially be pregnant right away!

My problem is that since I have moved 300+ miles away from my parents, I am out of network for my fathers health insurance and there are very few doctors and obgyns in the area. The closest one is 20 miles away (the only one within 40 miles) and is listed on my health insurances website as the “IVF Institute”. I worry about going to this location and wonder if it is sinful or immoral to give them my business even if I will not be using IVF services.

If I can’t go to this location, what are my other options? I obviously don’t want to go to a local PP. How expensive would it be to pay out of pocket for a visit or two? I will be on my fiances insurance as soon as we are married, so this is really only an issue for the next 3 months.
 
Call and ask what the cash price is. I would try to make every attempt to find either a Catholic OB GYN, or at the very least, a Christian one. If you can’t, then you will have to explain that you don’t want any birth control information as you are a Catholic and cannot use it.
 
Columbus Ohio is a large town. I have a hard time believing there are not pro-life docs there. Is that the place you are currently residing? Maybe ask the local diocese and then find out if you insurance will cover that doctor or not. Also, could you schedule a visit to the OB the next time you visit your parents? Then you might have more options. I have no idea how much a well-woman exam costs out of pocket, but I imagine it’s more than a simple doctor’s visit because they have to run tests. 🤷 If you’ve exhausted all other options, I think it would be alright to go to whatever doctor is available.
 
I see no reason for you to go if you are both virgins. I say that because you do not have to worry about STDs. As far as pregnancy, if you do become pregnant you will have to find a provider then. Have you considered family practice doctors? Many provide general ob/gyn services. And have you considered midwives? Check www.omosul.com I don’t think there’s anything sinful about going to see an IVF doc if you have no choice.
 
Why not contact the office of your nearest Catholic Church. If you are too embarassed to inquire about this to a priest face to face, Why not do it in Confession? Any Catholic priest would know if there is an OBGYN who is a member of the Parish, or would know of a Catholic one in the area. If you can’t do this, why not inquire with the lady who runs the office.
Also, it there is a Catholic school with nuns, or a convent, you could ask the Mother Superior as to who they use. Yes, dear, nuns, being women in the 21st century do go to OBGYNS
I would not worry about the health insurance, you always can make a private fee arrangement with the doctor.
 
Agnes91 said:
I just moved to a new area and am still on my parents health insurance until I get married in the fall. I would like to go to an OBGYN because I have never been to one before and I think it is important to find one pre wedding day because I could potentially be pregnant right away!

My problem is that since I have moved 300+ miles away from my parents, I am out of network for my fathers health insurance and there are very few doctors and obgyns in the area. The closest one is 20 miles away (the only one within 40 miles) and is listed on my health insurances website as the “IVF Institute”. I worry about going to this location and wonder if it is sinful or immoral to give them my business even if I will not be using IVF services.

If I can’t go to this location, what are my other options? I obviously don’t want to go to a local PP. How expensive would it be to pay out of pocket for a visit or two? I will be on my fiances insurance as soon as we are married, so this is really only an issue for the next 3 months.
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Check with the insurance company, after you have located a good Catholic/Christian
doctor. Ask them the cost for going out of network, telling them your situation. It is probably less that what you would pay on your own and would probably include all
the tests you would need.
 
Look at your local Catholic Crisis Pregnancy help place. They probably have a website.

See what doctors they refer to, or call and ask about local low-cost doctors they recommend for those without insurance. They normally do well-woman stuff as well!
 
Your info on the top of all your posts mentions that you live in Columbus, Ohio. I just did a search on OneMoreSoul and there are several practitioners of both genders listed in the Columbus regional area,
onemoresoul.com/nfp_by_state/OH

If Columbus was your former home, you can still use the directory to find someone in your current location!
 
Many times insurance companies will approve going to an out of network doctor at the in network rates if you get pre approved. For example, when I first moved to my current location, my comany’s insurance had no hospitals in network within 40 miles. They told me it was a policy that they would treat the hospital in my town as in-network since there wasn’t one within 40 miltes.

Perhaps they would do the same for your OB situation. Since the IVF place is likely a specialist, not a general OB/GYN, they might let you choose an out of network doctor and use the in network insurance benefit.

But, even if you end up going out of network, you should still have benefits-- it will just be a larger co-pay or deductible. Call the benefits hotline to ask what the out of network benefit it. It should still be better than no benefit.

The important thing is to talk to the insurance company first.
 
I would approach the situation from a slightly different point of view. I’d find a good ob/gyn that is in my fiance’s network, one that you hope to use throughout your life and any pregnancies and then see if your parent’s insurance will work with you on out-of-network benefits or if the ob/gyn you choose will work with the details of your situation. Its good to develop that patient/doctor relationship, especially with an ob/gyn and you just planning your family.

But like someone said, even if you don’t find a solution to your problem right now, its not the worse thing that can happen if you don’t go see an ob/gyn for the first time before getting pregnant and switching to your then husband’s insurance plan. You’re anticipating being pregnant right away and God willing, that may happen, or it may not happen, and you’d be able to make your first ob/gyn appointment right after getting married with no hassles.
 
I just started going at the beginning of this pregnancy.

I know you do not want to support immoral behavior or business, but when you are pregnant you need a doctor that fits your needs. I unfortunately had just moved and had no internet, so I picked one out of a phonebook who had a woman’s name and some nice certifications listed after her name. Turns out she is 60 years old, has some rather antiquated ideas about delivery compared to young people, is constantly inviting male medical students into the room to examine me (yes they have to ask my permission but they force me to say no right to their face like that and i feel awkward and violated.) She is into all kinds of business including peddling latisse. Who does that? Hey doc I have heavy periods but I am really worried about my thin little eyelashes.

My advice, yes go for a doctor you are morally comfortable with if you can, but besides that consider the importance of this person in pregnancy, labor and delivery. Man or Woman, I would pick a young one if you can. Not brand spanking new, but not 60. They are more likely to be well trained and comfortable with new equipment and current medical waves of thought (the trend right now is away from unneccessary surgeries and cutting but the old ones like to cut.) I would also say that if you can find an OBGYN who has recently had kids herself, that would be awesome. You are not just a patient, she is having to relive her own labor with every decision she makes about you. I wish I had that.
 
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