What if I am pregnant?
Understanding the Financial Costs
Student Pregnancy Loan Fund
The Duke Student Government has established a loan fund for undergraduate students who need assistance with the costs affiliated with continuing or terminating a pregnancy. There is a $300 loan limit. The loan money can be used to pay for an abortion or to pay for pregnancy care.
If you would like more information about the Student Pregnancy Loan Fund, please contact either:
- Jean Hanson, RN, MPH, Administrative Director, 919-681-3070, jean.hanson@duke.edu
- Lindsey Bickers Bock, MPH, Health Educator, 668-0997, lindsey.bickers.bock@duke.edu
Abortion
Although abortion is a one time cost, it is not cheap. Costs vary from community to community, based on regional and local expenses. Nationwide, medication abortion costs range from $250 to $650, and vacuum aspiration ranges from about $250 to $700. Surgical abortions are more expensive the later they are performed. Cost estimates for the Triangle area are provided on a separate sheet.
If you choose to have an abortion, ask about payment requirements before scheduling a procedure at any particular facility. Some places want to be paid in advance, while others require full payment on the day of the procedure. Some may be willing to set up a payment plan. Be sure to check whether or not a certain facility accepts credit cards, since some do not.
Investigate whether your insurance will cover part or all of the cost. Look in your policy to see if it covers “therapeutic abortion” to determine what your benefits are. Consider whether you want to use your insurance if a summary of benefits used will be reported to your parents or your partner.
Adoption
Depending on the type of adoption arranged (open or closed), the costs of placing a child for adoption varies greatly.
When you choose a closed adoption through a licensed agency, the costs of prenatal care and delivery are often yours. However, the agency can make hospital arrangements for the child’s birth and refer you to agencies that may help you financially.
When you choose an open adoption, the adoptive parents may agree to pay for your hospital and medical bills until the child is born. They may even pay for your living expenses during that time. It is important that the details of any such arrangement are clearly laid out and agreed to by all parties. Often times, the adoptive parents offer to hire one lawyer to represent them and you during the adoption process. If you choose an independent adoption (that is, one not arranged by an agency), you should consider having a lawyer of your own to make sure your interests are protected. You can find a lawyer by contacting the state bar association, the Durham County family court, Legal Aid, or the National Council for Adoption.
Raising a Child
If you choose to continue your pregnancy and parent the child by yourself or with a partner, you will be responsible for the cost of all your prenatal care and the delivery and all of the future expenses associated with raising a child. These costs include housing, food, transportation, clothing, healthcare, childcare and education, and other miscellaneous expenses. The U.S. government currently estimates that these expenses will total about $180,000, spread out from the time a child is born until the age of 18. More specific information about the costs of prenatal care and delivery is provided below. While there are many social services available to help assist you with these expenses, it is important to realize that raising a child is a significant, on-going cost.
Prenatal care
Prenatal care is the name for a standard set of important health care services recommended to screen pregnant women for health problems and pregnancy complications and to observe how a baby is developing. The Duke Student Health Center does not provide prenatal care. You may choose to receive prenatal care through any local public or private clinic, such as the Duke Hospitals Obstetric Clinic, the Duke Family Medicine Center, or the Lincoln Community Health Clinic. The cost of this care will depend on the fees charged by the facility you choose and your insurance coverage of such care. Some facilities provide office visits and tests on a sliding scale, based on your income.
You should have between 9 and 12 prenatal visits by the time you deliver. Any tests performed during your pregnancy will have an additional cost, beyond that paid for the visit itself. Visits with an obstetrician may be considered specialist care under your insurance, and therefore, they may cost more than visits with a family practice doctor. Some facilities have nurses that provide most prenatal care and education. All of these things will influence what prenatal care seems best for you. Assess costs and what seems most comfortable to you before deciding on a health care facility or a particular clinician to provide your prenatal care.
Delivering a child
Most women choose to deliver their baby in a hospital. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetrics recommend that women stay in the hospital two nights after a vaginal delivery and four nights after a cesarean delivery. Costs related to delivering a child in the hospital typically include labor care, external fetal monitoring, overnight care for mother and baby, nursery assessment, routine medications, newborn feeding consultations, and any necessary post-operative care. Additional costs may be incurred if labor must be induced or if an unscheduled cesarean birth is required. As you are investigating where you want to deliver your baby, ask about how fees are charged and what payment options are available. If you chose to deliver in a facility other than a hospital, such as a birthing center, different services may be offered or provided. Be sure to ask about fees and payment structure when considering such a facility.
In the Triangle, the outright cost of an uncomplicated vaginal delivery and two-night post-partum stay in a hospital will typically average around $4,000. A cesarean birth and four-night post-partum stay in a local hospital will be closer to $8,000. However, medical insurance often covers the vast majority of these costs, so it is important to determine any pregnancy-related benefits provided by your health insurance policy as you assess potential costs. Usually your health insurance card has a toll-free phone number on the back that you can use to contact a customer service agent who can discuss your plan’s benefits with you.
Note:
The Duke Student Health Center provides all-options pregnancy counseling through the Office of Health Promotion. Call 681-WELL (919-681-9355) to schedule an appointment with Lindsey Bickers Bock, MPH, to discuss pregnancy options. The counselor will help you make your own decision about what is right for you at this point in your life.
Information last reviewed June 2009