Hello everyone,

Please is there any one here who successfully applied for Tier 5 visa for a dependant child without their spouse also applying and the visa was granted? I'm to attend a 2 month programme in London and i want to take my baby with me. My colleague attended the programme a few months back and applied for her baby, her visa was granted but the baby was denied because her husband wasnt applying and the requirement is that both parents have to be in the UK or both parents are applying for the visa or the applying parent can prove sole responsibility for the child or special circumstances. Her husband lives and works in the UK and could not come just to apply for the visa.

I'm in the same boat now and i need advise please!

Thanks to everyone who advised on how to deal with Pediatrix. I called them and was referred to Ann in Central Billing. She gave a quote of $1170 initially and i requested the HB package of $675 which she immediately honoured. She said she'd mail my receipt and i should call in 7 business days to request zero balance statement. Phew! I guess the trick is to talk to someone in Central Billing as their patient reps are very clueless on self pay patients.

Please does anyone know how much Lufthansa charges for extra bag?

Pediatrix is just horrible! I called them prior to delivery and was too i couldn't pay in advance as there was no account to apply the payment to since my baby would be the account holder. After delivery i called practically everyday and they did not have my billing information. The HBP rate is only allowed if you pay within 30 days. They just sent me a bill with only account number, the amount isn't stated. After almost 3 weeks, I kept asking if they will honour the discount if i haven't received their bill 30 days from delivery. The payment rep I spoke to was so clueless. I will call them tomorrow to find out what the charge is and also to insist that they honour the HBP rates.

afrobrown2000:
dear NL,
my dear wife just came back from her missionary trip a week ago with my LO did notarized doc at no cost ($50 waiver was applied) did VOA at $190 when to the airport with $200 paid for her on arrival to my surprise they gave me $10 change
Delivery was at baylor Scott and white Whiterock dallas heard the name just changed....via CS by Dr Esebede

all bills paid except pediatrics

hospital $4300
Dr $2800
lab $230
Anesthesiologist $1000
pathology $104 (discounted $30)

pediatrics $1610 (discounted to $1104)

thats where the problem is had a set of twins in 2015 who had a normal newborn bill of $312 each totaling $624 same hospital how come for my LO it came to this price $1104

so i decided to call them myself on friday and noticed this bill came from a clinic called Pediatrix nothing changed...then i remembered a discussion about them earlier on this tread which i felt they wouldnt be the ones handling my LO delivery..
they have a healthy baby package which is to be paid before delivery and that is supposed to cost $675....will call on monday and see if i could still get the package

pls for those that haven't delivered you might also try and find out about this information to avoid unnecessary cost ...thanks

Where did you get the info from? Dr or Hospital directly.

Got mine through the Dr's office and its pretty self explanatory. Miracle Moments is a discounted package for self pay patients who don't have access to insurance on the pre-condition that you make full payment at the point of registration at the hospital or by your 37th week. They also have information for paediatrician, anaesthesiologist and pathologist.

If you got the info from Dr Xydas office just be patient and read through it. A specific question would be easier to answer then.

Violetdaisy:


Please help guys

Thank you. They really are clueless! I will call today.

Petdaughter:


The front agents are clueless about self pay patients. Ask to speak to Mary in Central Billing and give her your baby’s last name and first name (Not your name) to trace your account then you can make payments over the phone. Also look out in your mail for your Pediatrix account information, Mine came in about 2 weeks after I had my baby.

Hi, please for those that used Pediatrix how long after delivery did it take to get your bill? I've been chasing them fro 2 weeks now and they don't have my billing information. any way to expedite? I have less than 3 weeks to leave here and i want to settle my bills and get my receipts and statements before i leave. would appreciate any helpful info. Thanks!

Hi Adedoyin. First of all your post has been so helpful in getting all the paperwork together so big thanks to you. Please how long did it take to get your bill from Pediatrix? Its over 2 weeks since i had my baby and they don't have my billing information yet. I'd like to settle all my bills before i leave and i have just 2 weeks left. Did you do anything to fast track?

Adedoyin2108:
Good afternoon ladies

Baby girl arrived on the 3rd of January 2018 at Houston Northwest Medical Center through vaginal delivery.
Breakdown of cost:
Dr Xydas: 2000
Hospital: 2000
Induction: 200*
Stress test: 200*
Epidural: 650*
Hospital peadiatrician: 675 (the normal fee is much higher, this is the The Healthy Baby Package rate)
Pathology: 97 (after discount)
Peadiatrician(after discharge): 75
Birth certificate: 75 (plus delivery charge)
Passport: 160 (expedited)
Visa on arrival 190
*these are optional

I got baby's birth certificate 18 days after birth, 22/1; it was delayed cos of the adverse weather. It's 23 per copy but I paid 75 because I ordered it online (http://houstontx.gov/health/BirthCert/) and it was delivered to me next business day. To save time, I booked my appointment at the passport agency while waiting for the birth certificate. I booked two appointments actually, with different email addresses just in case [(https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/hurry.html)
(https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/apply-in-person.html)]
When booking the appointment, it's important to indicate that you need the passport same day in order to obtain a visa. After I got the birth certificate, I went for the passport interview the next day, 23/1. My husband wasn't present for the interview, but he was around for the baby's birth so we notarised in the US. If your husband isn't coming to the US, it's best to notarise the document at the US embassy before travelling to the US, notarising at a Nigerian notary public is no longer accepted. I got the US passport same day and sent the email for visa on arrival that night, got approval on Thursday 25/1 (https://immigration.gov.ng/visa-on-arrival/) and travelled on Monday 29/1 via Lufthansa. I had called Lufthansa customer care a day earlier to book a bassinet seat.
I got to Lagos on the 30th, straight to visa on arrival office, presented the approval and other docs, filled a form, paid the fee and baby was stamped in for a month.

NB: Got the Social security number in less than 2 weeks


Thanks to everyone for sharing info on this thread, God bless you all mightily!. To God be the glory!

Hi, please how long after your delivery did you get your bill from Pediatrix? I have called over 4 times since the 20th when i had my baby and they don't have my billing information yet. They said it can take up to 30 days. I asked why it would take 30 days when they offer a prompt payment discount thats only valid for 30 days after delivery and they said they'd still honour the discount. I need to settle my bills before i leave in 2 weeks.

Also which paediatrician did you use please? My first visit alone was 120 usd.

Chinemeze17:
Hello naira landers,
Finally my missionary journey came to an end three weeks ago. I had posted my POE Waka earlier on. I used Hnwmc and Dr xydas and the bills breakdown are
Dr 2000$
Hospital 2200$ (the 200$ fee was for an observation before LO came)
Collected the non indebtedness letter from financial counselor and a zero balance but no itemized statement, I'm hoping to get that too.
Pediatricians 728$ after an initial bill of almost 1500. I called them and stated I was given a quote for healthy baby package which should be applied and honored, eventually they did and I paid over the phone and my statement and zero balance came in the mail.
Follow up pediatrician visit 69$ each visit
Pathology 179$
Birth certificate 75$ paid for expedited services

Used Qatar airways and added baby ticket for 145$
Got a same day expedited passport 165$ and applied for visa on arrival which was approved after 24hours and sent to my email, Paid 190$ in lagos
It all ended in praise, and the boot has been hung finally �

send me a PM so i can forward to your email.

essyb2002:


Sorry to bother you,can I see or have an idea of the generic response given to you by the embassy when you informed them of your change of intent cos I've a B1/B2 visa and having a double mind about writing them an email

i had my baby at HNWMC with Dr. Xydas practice. At my first appointment i requested to be scheduled for a time he would be around. He was ok that day, asked how i had found him and all that, he answered my questions and it was a pleasant visit. My other appointments were with Dr Duong or the nurse practitioner. Delivery day it was Dr. Ross that was on call and he was awesome. Great bedside manner and even when i begged for a CS due to no progress for 5 hours, he advised against it and told me to give it another 2 hours. In an hour I was 10cm and ready to push, he handled the delivery well and encouraged me through it. Now on discharge day, after waiting all day till 3pm for Dr to certify me fit to go home Dr X appeared. The man didnt ask me one question, he just said 'Ok you can go home, baby is fine. We will see you in 3 weeks'. No abdominal exam. Nothing! No advice on after care for self, even my Mum was shocked. At the time I was tired and just wanted to get home but in hindsight it was so unprofessional especially as i had a difficult recovery for the first few days that i was so unprepared for.

Jasmine08:
Wow! Thanks for this firsthand review and I'm sorry you went through that horrific ordeal.

I've been corresponding with Dr. F and was just about to pay to get an appointment date but now I won't.

Pls what's the full name for Dr. Z (Admin kindly allow this just this once) and is he with Oakbend too?

Also, I'll be glad if anyone has personal reviews to share on Dr. X of HNWMC... I don't really trust online reviews.

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.

ladeonas:


congratulations

Try Healthplus. Google them for contact numbers of the various branches and call before going. Got mine from them in Abuja at 12k.

Ojugunrege:
Hello People..SOS!!!

please where can I get compression socks in Lagos?
I have been to 4 pharmacies to no luck in the last 2 weeks.

ejo e epp mi o!!!!

Thanks. The Financial Counsellor said a lot of people had issues with Pediatrix cos they didnt ask for the Healthy Baby package and were billed the standard rates. She advised me to call them and if possible pay in advance. The standard charge for newborn care for up to 2 days is $1104 plus $262 for each additional day. Circumcision is $262 and hearing test is $326. The healthy baby package is $675 for newborn care for 2 days and $100 for each addition day with circumcision and hearing test being $175 and $130 respectively.

You will qualify for the HBP rate if you make payment within 30 days of delivery and specifically ask for the HBP rates. I also made sure to confirm there is no passage of the cost difference to insurance or Medicaid. They do it to encourage prompt payment and to avoid collection costs.

Gloriagee:
Congrats Cheesemama on your successful POE and best wishes on your upcoming delivery. Please can you give more details on the Paedetrcian package. Does it entail a fixed rate? Had a good experience with HNWMC and Dr Xydas but Pedatrix was difficult to deal with.

Thank you

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.

I've also noticed a trend in doctors here being very interventionist. I contacted a DR who delivers at a hospital that only does CS, noticed a review comment where a patient said they would only accept her care if she agreed to a CS and she was only 5 weeks at the time. Some doctors will advise a scheduled CS to ensure they are on call to deliver your baby, if having a particular DR take delivery of the baby isn't a concern for you, then you can proceed with the practice. Dr. Xydas doesn't schedule CS prior to 39 weeks of pregnancy so you will only have CS if he deems it necessary. Also most quotes for Vaginal birth are cheaper than CS.

baldman:
Dear House, I have been an ardent follower of the thread. Thanks for the good work you are doing here. My wife and I intend for her to have our first child in the US. I have read extensively and I have these questions:

It seems most of the hospitals/Drs in the US are inclined towards performing a CS. my wife and I are more inclined towards vaginal birth, all things being equal and we are looking at Oakbend medical centre or Dr. Xydas. Could you please advise, from experience, which of the Houston hospitals/Dr. is favourably disposed to vaginal birth. I know they raise quotes for vaginal birth but I want to ask from people who have actual experience of vaginal birth in the US.

Also, a friend recently delivered in the general hospital, even though all the fees are being paid ( it is relatively cheaper), could this prejudice her while applying for visa in the future?