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We know this can be confusing! Birth centers may be a new concept for you… and figuring out the best way to bring your baby into the world is a big decision for your family, in the realms of hopes and dreams AND finances. 

The Cost Of Prenatal Care

The best way to navigate these decisions is to come to an orientation. Afterward, you will receive your estimate from our Client Financial Specialist, so you have the information you need to make an informed decision. We are here to help! Read more below.

We provide an estimate of your out-of-pocket costs for maternity, birth and newborn care at Dar a Luz after you have attended an orientation. We do this for everyone, prior to your first appointment with a midwife, so that you can make an educated decision about your care. Every policy with every insurance company may have different rules. We can estimate your out-of-pocket expenses based on your insurance coverage only by checking your specific policy.

We have four things that we charge for:

  • Registration fee
  • Professional fee (this is one-on-one time with the midwives)
  • Facility fee (this covers birthing suite use, birth supplies, RN birth assistant, overhead, classes, administrative costs)
  • Newborn care for the first month

If you sign up with us, we will collect your portion from you by week 36 in your pregnancy. You can make payments or pay it all at once. We are flexible in our payment plans, so email our Client Financial Specialist (Erica), if you have a special situation.

My Midwife Lauren was awesome! I had never met her during my appointments, but truly believe everything happens for a reason. She made my birthing experience wonderful to say the least. She was like a midwife and a Doula all in one. She also helped with keeping my husband at ease. She showed him what to do to help me out every step of the way. I was able to have the beautiful water birth that I had always wanted.

Aug 07 2021


Dar a Luz is currently contracted with the following insurance companies:
BCBS
Cigna
Friday Health Plan
GEHA
Medicaid/Turquoise Care (All MCOs)
Molina
Presbyterian
Tricare
United
Dar a Luz does not accept Ambetter insurance 


Please note:
Employees of Presbyterian are considered out of network for pregnancy and birth care at Dar a Luz.


Ask us! – If you don’t see your insurance listed, please attend an orientation and our Client Financial Specialist
will check your specific plan, and determine your benefits at Dar a Luz. 

Is it cheaper to deliver at Dar a Luz than a hospital?

Dar a Luz is committed to being up front and honest about all of our charges, and we provide a much more detailed estimate to our pregnant clients than our local hospitals are able to provide.
 
In general, Dar a Luz’s costs are considerably lower than a hospital birth. Here are some numbers from the New Mexico Healthcare Compare website. 
 
At this time, this website only includes information on Medicaid claims; data for commercial payers, Medicare, and the uninsured are not currently available. This includes both the payer and patient’s responsibility. The data represents claims from procedures completed from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016.
 
UNMH – $3,477 Vaginal Delivery; Cesarean = $7,739 (Facility*)
Prebyterian – $2,353 Vaginal Delivery; Cesarean = $4,722 (Facility*)
Lovelace Women’s – $2,200 Vaginal Delivery; Cesarean = $4,092 (Facility*)
 
Our Medicaid allowable (Facility*) is:
40% of UNM
59% of Pres
63% of Lovelace
 
*It’s important to note that these are for facility costs only, and do not include provider fees or newborn fees. 
 
To find out what your out of pocket costs could be at Dar a Luz, sign up for an ORIENTATION and receive an estimate for care specific to your medical benefits. 

Medicaid: Is it right for You?

New Mexico’s Medicaid program is called Centennial Care. Its services include physical health, behavioral health, long-term care and community benefits. Centennial Care uses four existing insurance companies to provide this coverage.

Medicaid’s mission is to provide no-cost or low-cost health insurance coverage to financially eligible citizens. Even if you didn’t qualify before getting pregnant, you may qualify for maternity coverage now. Medicaid is expanding to cover more people.

Confused about Medicaid?

Many people don’t realize that as a pregnant person, you can qualify for Medicaid coverage at 250% of the fixed standard when you are not pregnant. This means that many people qualify, even if you already have insurance!

You only need to know if you qualify, and then complete an application online. We have provided links to assist you in this process.

To determine if you are eligible, just add up the gross pay of your household’s paychecks (the amount before taxes, insurance and everything else is taken out), and come up with the total for an average month.
If it totals less than the numbers below*, the pregnant person can qualify for Medicaid.

In determining the household size of a pregnant person, they are counted as self plus the number of children expected to deliver this pregnancy.

  • Up to $4259 for a pregnant woman and unborn baby (family of 2)

  • Up to $5380 for a pregnant woman and unborn baby plus one (family of 3)

  • Up to $6500 for a pregnant woman and unborn baby plus two (family of 4)

  • Up to $7621 for a pregnant woman and unborn baby plus three (family of 5)

  • +$1121 for each additional household member

*These numbers are good through the end of March 2025.

Start the application process immediately if you think you may qualify for Medicaid. See below. It can take 45 days for coverage to be set up, and while you wait, your appointments may or may not be covered by Medicaid.

Find out for sure if you can get Medicaid, and apply today

You can find out for sure whether you qualify for any Medicaid program in New Mexico several ways. Choose the option that’s easiest for you:

Before you start an application, gather these:

  • Social security numbers of the family members to enroll

  • Employment and income information — paystubs, tax return, W2 forms

  • Policy numbers, if you currently have health insurance (this doesn’t affect your eligibility)

  • The first date of your last menstrual period

  • Though they are not supposed to require it anymore, they may ask for a “proof of pregnancy” letter from your midwife or doctor

If you qualify for Medicaid, you will be asked to select a Managed Care Organization (MCO) to administer your care. We accept all three MCOs

Each MCO has the same coverage for most things: certified nurse-midwife fees related to maternity, lab work, ultrasounds, hospital admission, doctor visits, specialist visits, other medical care, behavioral health, long-term care, prescriptions, emergencies, vision, dental, certain kinds of rehabilitation, and x-rays. However, not all providers accept all MCOs. Call your favorite providers and find out if your choice will matter to them. What else makes the MCOs different? They may have different value-added services, such as free carseats, cribs, and mileage reimbursement for trips to provider offices. Visit their websites to find out what else they offer. 

If you have other health insurance, don’t be afraid to report that to Medicaid. They don’t use that information when determining your eligibility for pregnancy coverage. And if you fail to report it to them, it could mean big trouble later … insurance fraud. You could also be stuck paying your own medical bills plus fines for the extra handling of claims.

Pregnancy Medicaid is usually back-dated to the beginning of your pregnancy. So if you’ve been told that you are eligible, your prenatal care at Dar a Luz will likely be covered no matter when you start seeing us. 

Whatever you decide to do, please keep us informed. Tell us about all of your insurance policies. Tell us whenever anything changes. After your baby is born, add him or her to your Medicaid coverage within 30 days and tell us when it’s done.