Affordable Midwifery Care: Sliding Scale Pricing
To make out-of-hospital midwifery care accessible to as many families as possible, we are offering a Managed Sliding Scale. Please review the guide below to determine where you qualify. Spaces for the lower tiers are limited, so we encourage you to choose thoughtfully.
Important: Midwifery care in Indiana incurs significant costs, including educational requirements, physician collaboration, and liability insurance, in addition to rising living costs like gasoline. Fair compensation helps sustain the quality and availability of our services.
Sliding Scale Tiers
Tier 1: $5000
- Description: The actual value of midwifery services, reflecting the true cost.
- Availability: Unlimited.
- Who Should Choose This Tier?
- If you have financial security (e.g., own property, personal savings, stable income) and rarely worry about securing necessities like food, shelter, or medical care, this tier reflects your financial reality.
Tier 2: $4000
- Description: A reduced cost for clients who need some financial flexibility but don’t fully meet Tier 3 criteria.
- Availability: 4 clients per year.
- Who Should Choose This Tier?
- If you are working to reduce debt or build savings, have steady income, but find yourself financially constrained, this tier is appropriate.
- Geographical Limit: Available only to clients within 30 minutes of Bloomington.
Tier 3: $3000
- Description: A deeply reduced rate for clients whose financial circumstances would otherwise prevent them from receiving midwifery care.
- Availability: 3 clients per year.
- Who Should Choose This Tier?
- If you live paycheck-to-paycheck, are in significant debt, or struggle to maintain access to essentials like healthcare, housing, or food, this tier is designed for you.
- Geographical Limit: Available only to clients within 30 minutes of Bloomington.
What’s Included in All Tiers:
- Routine prenatal care.
- Care during active labor.
- Birth assistant and birth kit.
- Routine postpartum care for mother and baby up to 6 weeks.
- Routine immediate postpartum care for the mother and newborn.
Discounts
- Repeat Clients: $250 discount.
- Early Payment: $250 discount if balance is paid in full by 32 weeks.
- Extended Payment Plans: Available through Med Loan Finance, allowing you to take advantage of discounts and extended payment periods with little or no interest.
Guide to Using the Sliding Scale
Pick Mindfully
There are limited spaces at the lower tiers. If you can afford the higher tiers, choosing accordingly ensures that families in need can access these services. Being honest with yourself about your financial situation strengthens the community and allows healthcare providers like myself to continue offering flexible pricing.
Fair payment also enables me to invest more time and resources into lower-cost services and support for all clients.
Important Eligibility Considerations
- Extended Payment Plans: Available through Med Loan Finance for all tiers. Visit their website for more details.
- Geographical Limits for Tiers 2 and 3: These reduced-cost tiers are available only to clients within 30 minutes of Bloomington and 45 minutes of Bedford.
- By Necessity, Not by Choice: Tiers 2 and 3 are based on financial need, not choice. If you have access to family resources, work part-time by choice, or have a higher earning potential but choose not to use it, please consider paying the Tier 1 rate.
Special Thanks
Thank you to Worts and Cunning Apothecary for creating this fair sliding scale model. For more information on general sliding scales, visit wortsandcunning.com. A special thanks also to Amanda Chandler of Momma Bear Midwifery for sharing this sliding scale with us!