Question for American MNers living in U.S. re scans in pregnancy

[Jacksmania]

I'm on Canada, so not too conversant with U.S. pregnancy and birth practices. Was talking to an American woman who's in her 50s, who claims that in the U.S., most women don't have ultrasound scans during during their pregnancies because insurance companies won't cover them. I find that a little a lot actually hard to believe. It seems to me that at least one or two scans during pregnancy would be a basic standard of practice?
Maybe this was the case when this really lovely lady was having her children which would have been 20-odd years ago?

Could anyone enlighten me?

I've only been in the US a few weeks so can't really answer - no mention has been made of scans by my midwives but then I'm 28 weeks pregnant and had the 12 and 20 week scans in the UK.

I'll have to have a look on some of the American sites and see what they say as you've got me wondering...

It wouldn't surprise me if maybe insurance doesn't pay for any extras beyond the 12 and 20 week scans but surely they'd pay for those?

Well, I would think so but this woman insisted that no scans are covered. Can't quite fathom that...

All of my friends who've been pregnant in the US have had at least three scans and they've all been done through private insurance. Not sure at what time in the pregnancy they were done.

Given that both my mother and MIL (in US) seems startled that I'm not having any more scans after the 20 week one, I'm guessing practices have changed. I know my aunt, some 20 years ago, had to fight for a scan to confirm twins (she was right) in week 38-something, so 20 years ago was definitely different. I've seen scans from my friends who have had kids in the US in the last few years.

Insurance can vary widely, though. I'm pretty sure the coverage I had as a student would not have covered much antenatal ("prenatal") care at all.

You usually get 8,12,20, and 36 week scan in the US. And insurance does cover.

Huh. See, I didn't think what she said could be right. Maybe it was specific to that time (must have been late 80s) and maybe the state she lived in at the time.

That's pure bull ... Sorry to be so forward about it... But that lady is wrong and sounds like against US medical system. Women in states get scans almost every appointment and it is covered rather by private insurance or special government program for these that qualify and don't have insurance. Most obgyns have infrasound machine in their office and do unlrasounds as a routine....

I had my 5 year old and 3 year old in New York City and I had scans at 8, 12, 20 and 36 - as the person above said. Insurance covered it.

forum.baby-gaga.com/about1001351.html

From the US version of NM... looks like Medicaid pay for 2 scans usually, sometimes more, sometimes only 1, but generally extra scans you need to pay for.
Of course if you have no insurance and your application for Medicaid gets held up, then you may be stuffed though hopefully docs will do scans anyway.
My cousin who just gave birth had 2 scans but another cousin fell through the gaps and didn't get any.

I'm currently in the US and so far we have had one at 8 weeks. NT scan at 13 weeks which lasted almost 3 hours because the munchkin was not co-operating. 18 weeks for anatomy, and back at 20 weeks because (surprise surprise) she wasn't cooperating again. Growth scan at 28 weeks. I am also having extra monitoring due to a high blood pressure reading which means I will get a scan every week from next week til she arrives.

But I am very lucky, and have excellent insurance...

I'm an American living in the US, and I had 2 scans with DS and 3 with DD (had bleeding at 6 weeks) and they all were covered. At least 2 scans is standard over here. When my sisters were born (over 20 years ago), I remember going to at least 1 scan with each, which was very routine even back then.

I had four scheduled scans but ended up having an extra three at the end due to complications. I'm in la and they were covered by insurance.

It would all depend on your insurance cover. Some providers cover all prenatal care, including lots of scans, while others only cover bare minimum or none. If you have no insurance then you'd have to pay out of pocket which some might not be able to afford. I think about 40m Americans have no health insurance.

Maybe your friend had a bad experience? Also in the 80's, antenatal scans were not standard yet so could be her provider didn't cover scans as they were regarded as experimental treatment then?

I was in Canada when pregnant the first time. I went through an amazing midwifery program in Vancouver and only had one scan the whole time ( at 16 weeks). I lay ( as we don't in Canada)
I think your friends info is very outdated.

Sorry, on the iPad... I didn't pay!