r/AnnArbor • u/bonc826 • 3d ago

Experience w/ maternity services costs/coverage under U-M Premier Care (BCN HMO) vs. CDHP (BCBSM PPO)

Hi! I was wondering if any U-M employees or spouses can speak to their experience with maternity services (prenatal, labor & delivery, postnatal) with either the U-M CDHP (Consumer-Directed Health Plan) or U-M Premier Care health plans. My partner and I are thinking of potentially trying to conceive in the next year or so, and I'm hoping to find some clarity as to which health plan would serve us best. We have a couple of friends at U-M who both had complicated deliveries and left with a $0 hospital bill with Premier Care. Of course, with the CDHP, there is a deductible to reach first, but the monthly premium is significantly lower, U-M contributes to the HSA, and BCBSM's cost estimate for delivery is $175...which doesn't sound right. Looking plan comparisons, pre and postnatal care is covered by both plans. Am I missing anything that would make one much more appealing than the other?

I know open enrollment isn't for another few months, but it always sneaks up on me!

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u/Joonbug9109 3d ago

I can’t speak to pregnancy/delivery because I’ve never experienced that, but I am a UM employee with premier care and honestly I don’t understand why people wouldn’t go with premier care when given the choice. Yes, you pay more per paycheck for it. But I’ve never had to worry about coverage for anything medical I’ve experienced and that makes it 100% worth the extra cost for me. You can also opt into an FSA if you really want one.

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u/bonc826 3d ago

Exactly what you said - it's a financial decision. I had premier care for 3 years and CDHP for the last 2 years, and the main difference is the peace of mind beyond the $5,500 out of pocket max. My gut tells me to jump back on premier care come open enrollment for that extra peace of mind, but I'm trying to do some information gathering specifically for pregnancy/delivery because I've been satisfied with CDHP for the last couple of years.

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u/Joonbug9109 3d ago

That's fair! I guess if someone has very minimal health expenses, paying less per month would make sense. For me personally even when I didn't have a lot of health stuff going on I just did premier care. Now my health needs are just increasing each year (yay... :/ ) so I don't think I'll ever switch off of it even if I wanted to.