Luke & Danielle Billings, Middletown, DE
- Total eligible bills
- $25,304
- Provider discounts
- $2,835
- Total bills shared
- $22,469
Luke and Danielle Billings of Middletown, Del., found that big blessings come in small packages when their daughter, Mattea Rose, entered the world on August 16, 2013. Our staff asked them about their CHM experience:
Christian Healthcare Ministries: How did you hear about CHM and what made you decide to join?
Danielle Billings: The health insurance offered through Luke’s job was very costly, especially with its high deductible. When our missionary friends told us about their great experience with CHM, we did the math. CHM was a much better way to go. The maternity program was certainly a deciding factor as well. I joined at the Gold level.
CHM: What was the first step you took after finding out you were pregnant?
DB: I called CHM to find out how to submit my maternity bills. Though at first it was difficult to obtain itemized bills from my health care provider, it all worked out in the end. CHM reimbursed us for every penny spent on our medical bills. Ken Lefever in the Member Assistance department was very informative and happy to answer all my questions. He even prayed for me when I told him I was pregnant. That was a real comfort.
CHM: What was the cost of your pregnancy?
DB: Thank God, we had no complications, but my pregnancy still cost nearly $22,500. Most of the expense came from the hospital bills. In addition, I was required to pay a down payment before my due date. CHM sent the money within that week! (Editor’s note: When possible, CHM works with health care providers to make sure that bills are shared in time to secure a significant discount.)
CHM: What, in your opinion, is the best thing about the CHM maternity program?
DB: We liked the flexibility of having the choice of which type of birth we wanted and we were able to choose our own health care provider. Thirdly, there’s no insurance plan that I know of that even comes close to CHM—with health insurance there’s no way that all of our maternity expenses would have been paid. We’re very grateful that CHM shared all of our expenses.
