[LFMom]

What is the norm with respect to medical expenses of the baby while in Guatemala (before adoption is final)? One agency we've looked at covers the first $250 of medical and the adoptive parents are responsible for anything after that. I know that at least under our insurance, anything you pay before the adoption is final would not be covered, and I don't know what happens if the adoption falls through. Is this typical? And how do Guatemalan medical expenses compare to those here? I know $250 would barely cover a couple well baby visits to my pediatrician.

[Anne22]

I don't think that it's typical, at all, for the prospective adoptive parents to be responsible for the costs of well-baby exams, etc. Frankly, I'm surprised by what the agency told you.

With my agency, the fees that I paid the attorney (the Guatemala country fee) went towards foster care and Gabriel's medical expenses. I was never asked to pay anything in addition to the Guatemala country fee. I believe that's pretty standard across agencies. Because I asked the agency to have Gabriel's Guatemalan pediatrician conduct some newborn screening tests that he ordinarily wouldn't have conducted, I paid for those tests.

Hope this helps.

[Maggie Beth]

I agree with Anne. I would avise against using an agency that asks for this... you could really get in over your head. This makes me wonder if this is a way for the agency/attorney to make extra money...

[Mandy B]

I totally agree as well. I think that is strange. We were given the fee for adoption and have not been expected to cover ANYthing else!

[dspakowsky]

Our daughter was in the hospital for 10 days and then received a lot of follow-up care... we never paid anything extra for this.