Today, expecting mothers preparing for labor can choose where they give birth - in Russian clinics or abroad. They are often inclined to choose the latter option as it is assumed that foreign doctors are more responsible. But there is another major bonus true for the U.S. Children born in the US automatically become citizens of this country.
Russian celebrities Kristina Orbakaite, Marina Alexandrova, Svetlana Khorkina and Alsu chose to give birth in the United States. Perhaps, their choice was based on a particular clinic or even a particular doctor, but certainly not the least important was the fact that their children became U.S. citizens by birth.
The United States is one of the countries where this law is still in force, despite the numerous criticisms from local residents. Why not give this gift to your child? Especially given that the U.S. passport makes life of its owners easier in some areas - for example, in obtaining visas to most countries around the world.
The slogan: "Give your child the main gift of their life - the US citizenship" - is posted at many agencies offering assistance with organizing labor in the United States. Mostly this service is offered in Miami, mainly because of its favorable climate.
The number of those willing to use the service is increasing every year. According to the manager of one of the agencies Vera Baranova, if last year they had a little over a hundred clients, by July of this year they already had 86. Moscow and St. Petersburg are not the only cities seeking assistance. The agencies have clients from the regions, and even other CIS countries - Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The price of a standard package is approximately 20,000 dollars, and a Caesarean section will be three thousand more. The price includes organizational services - help with a visa, meeting at the airport, and assistance with housing for rent during the stay. It also includes medical services (selection of the hospital, antenatal care, childbirth, tests for the newborn) and, of course, paperwork for citizenship.
The first issue of concern for Russian citizens is a visa. "If a woman has a clean passport, that is, no visas to other countries, particularly in the Schengen area, in 70-80 percent of cases she will be denied a U.S. tourist visa. In this case, we offer another option - getting an invitation from a hospital so she could travel as a patient. Of course, more red tape is involved, but the chances of getting a visa are higher ", said Vera Baranova.
However, if a client is denied a visa, the agency returns the advance payment because reputation is more important. Sometimes a woman cannot fly for medical reasons. In this case she also gets her money back.
Generally, it is better to get to the U.S. no later than at the 34th week of pregnancy. This means that the real cost of living in the U.S. will be much higher than the basic package. "On average, women spend three months there, but sometimes more time is needed," said Vera Baranova.
For example, the agency guarantees only two days of stay in a hospital. An additional fee is required for a longer stay, not to mention all the additional procedures and consultations that may be required. In general, the bill runs up to 34 thousand dollars. Of course, there is no upper limit: the agency manager also gave birth in the United States and paid 50,000 dollars.
However, in Europe the childbirth of "world class" will cost dearly. According to Vera, her sister, who chose a German clinic, spent 44,000 euros. The price of a basic package to give birth in Germany is eight thousand euros. In expensive Russian clinics this service costs over $12 thousand dollars.
Why increasingly more Russians prefer to give birth in the U.S.? Of course, U.S. citizenship for a child is a significant bonus. In addition, their grandchildren will become citizens of the United States by the right of blood. However, the parents have no advantage in obtaining a visa. When the child turns 18 years old, they can apply for family reunification, and the family is guaranteed green cards.
However, it is not just about citizenship. Wealthy people can reside in any country in the world. "Most of our clients have long ceased to use the services of domestic medicine. It is not about low-skilled doctors but their level of responsibility to the patient. In Western countries this responsibility is much higher," said Vera Baranova.
There is important clarification: this is assuming that you are not strapped for cash. Those who dare to go alone to give birth in the United States after gathering information about the local medicine exclusively from the television show "ER" should read various forums on the subject.
For example, one woman wrote on kid.ru: "You know, we all have different experiences. It is here in America I was left to bleed after a cesarean, in a dark room without even a call button, it is here in America I nearly went crazy from outpatient visits with profuse bleeding, because the insurance does not allow them to keep you in the hospital longer than four days. It is here in America I was mutilated by incompetent doctors. Now I am a former healthy woman with two joints on the uterus and a terrible scar on my belly. Nowhere in Russia have I personally seen such effects from medical treatment. Yes, Russia has a poor resource base. But I personally was lucky. I had great doctors and good treatment. You can run into a doctor who is a monster both here and there, and no one is safe."
Or this: "I had a serious condition after a cesarean. On the third day after birth I fainted while walking. When I asked to stay in hospital for the fourth day, they looked at me strangely. Generally, people are very eager to leave early from the hospital, even after a cesarean. "
Besides, who can now say with certainty that in 20 years a U.S. passport will mean as much as it does now? Perhaps by this time passports will not be required.
Svetlana Smetanina
Pravda.Ru