Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is It Legal To Deliver My Baby In the USA?
2. What Do I Need To Do To Travel to El Paso, Texas for My Maternity Care?
3. What Should I Do When Passing Through Customs?
4. When Would Be The Best Time To Arrive?
5. How Long Does It Take To Receive My Baby’s legal documents of citizenship?
6. Why Should I Choose IMS For My Maternity Care?
7. How Do I Register With IMS For Prenatal Care?
8. At What Hospital Will I Be Delivering?
9. Where Can I Stay During My Visit to El Paso?

Is It Legal To Deliver My Baby In the USA?

Yes, it is legal to delivery your baby in the USA as long as you have been honest on your visa application.

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” (Citizenship Clause of the USA Constitution 1868 Fourteenth Amendment)

All babies born in the USA, regardless of the legal status or nationality of their parents, are automatically granted USA BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP, with all rights and privileges of citizenship including a USA passport which allows the child to travel to the USA without the need for a visa like their parents.

What Do I Need To Do To Travel to El Paso, Texas for My Maternity Care?

Generally, traveling to the USA is considered to be medically safe even during the last trimester of pregnancy. If traveling by air, there may be specific restrictions from the airline that you are using to travel to the USA. Please refer specifically to your airline carrier for more information about medical restrictions for travel related to pregnancy.

Generally, if you want to visit, but not permanently stay, in the United States you must present all required documents including a passport and may be required to first obtain a VISITOR VISA. Travelers from certain countries may be exempt from this requirement. For more information, please see the U.S. Department of State website.

If you want to travel to the United States for reasons other than business or pleasure, you must apply for a visa in the appropriate category. You can get help determining which visa you need by selecting the appropriate categories on the home page for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS). You may also contact your local USA embassy in your home country for assistance.

Patients requesting our assistance with obtaining a visa must provide all medical records for review and a letter of SAFE TRAVEL from their obstetrician. Upon review, if the patient is deemed to be a good candidate for travel and the services provided by IMS and our local hospitals, a LETTER OF INTENT can be provided to assist in obtaining a visa.

What Should I Do When Passing Through Customs?

When traveling through USA ports of entry, it is important to be honest and upfront about your travel plans with the USA Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers.

Traveling to the USA while pregnant is not illegal nor is wanting to deliver your baby for the benefit of USA citizenship. However, it is very important to be truthful at all times with CBP officers.

Although you may have all the required documents, including your passport and visa, you may be asked by CBP officers if you are financial prepared to pay for medical services related to your pregnancy. If requested, please present your LETTER OF INTENT from our office and/or documents confirming your financial solvency to pay for all expected costs related to your pregnancy and delivery and confirm that you will not be requesting any financial assistance from the State of Texas or the USA government.

When Would Be The Best Time To Arrive?

If intending to deliver your baby in the USA, it is strongly recommended that you travel as early in your pregnancy as possible. However, regardless of your plans, be prepared to be granted only a 6 month visa. Therefore, it is very important to plan for at least a 2-4 week stay FOLLOWING your delivery in order to receive all of the necessary paperwork for USA citizenship for your newborn. DO NOT EXCEED YOUR VISA DURATION. DOING SO IS CONSIDERED ILLEGAL AND YOU COULD BE PERMANENTLY DENIED READMISSION TO THE UNITED STATES.

It is also important to make sure that you do not accept any social services or have an unpaid debt for your medical services, which could be a violation of your visa.

How Long Does It Take To Receive My Baby’s legal documents of citizenship?

It takes approximately 2 weeks to receive the legal documents to confirm citizenship and receive a passport for your child.

You will receive paperwork including a legal birth certificate from the hospital. The hospital can help you file or obtain a birth certificate from the El Paso County Vital Records.

Once you receive a certified copy of your baby’s birth certificate, you can go to the USA Passport Agency and apply for an expedited password for your baby.

El Paso Passport Agency
303 N Oregon St
El Paso, TX 79901
Phone: 1-877-487-2778

Why Should I Choose IMS For My Maternity Care?

There are a number of reasons why you should choose the services of IMS for your prenatal care.

1. Management by an internationally recognized patient advocate, Dr. Julio Cesar Novoa, MD.
1. Ethical practice of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) and Universal Rights of Childbearing Women.
2. Practice of Evidence-Based Medicine
3. Documented Accountability of Delivery Outcome
4. Low incidence of primary Cesarean Section
5. High incidence of successful vaginal delivery to include Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Section (VBAC) and Twin Vaginal Delivery (TVD).
2. Low price of maternity care as compared to the USA national average
1. USA national average for Vaginal Delivery and Cesarean Section Delivery is approximately $9500 and $35,000, respectively.
2. The cost of these services in large metropolitan cities, such as Los Angeles, New York and Miami often exceed $50,000.
3. Due to the low cost of living in El Paso, medical services and hospital costs can be offered at prices far below the national average, ranging between $5500-$7500
4. Additional expenses including lodging, travel and amenities are also far below the national average.

5. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION: MOST PATIENTS CONSIDERING A VAGINAL DELIVERY BUDGET THEIR EXPENSES BASED ON THE REASONABLE BELIEF THAT THEY WILL DELIVER VAGINALLY. HOWEVER, IN THE UNITED STATES, THE PROBABILITY OF A PATIENT HAVING A CESAREAN SECTION IS 32%.

   THIS MEANS THAT 1 OUT OF 3 PATIENTS CONSIDERING A VAGINAL DELIVERY WILL UNFORTUNATELY END UP HAVING A CESAREAN SECTION, WHICH COULD INCREASE THEIR COSTS FROM $10,000 TO $25,000.

   ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REASONS TO CONSIDER DR. NOVOA IS THE FACT THAT HIS PRIMARY CESAREAN RATE IS 7% WHICH IS 4-5X LOWER THAN THE USA NATIONAL AVERAGE.

   THIS STATISTIC IS FAR BELOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE USA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000, 2010 AND 2020 RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/healthy_people/hp2010.htm
   http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/maternal_perinatal_health/cs-statement/en/

   THIS MEANS THAT APPROXIMATELY 93 OUT OF EVERY 100 OF DR. NOVOA’S PATIENTS ATTEMPTING A VAGINAL DELIVERY WILL BE ABLE TO DELIVER THEIR BABY VAGINALLY, THUS KEEPING THE PATIENT’S COSTS WITHIN HER ORIGINAL BUDGET AND AVOIDING UNNECESSARY EXPENSES.

3. 15-20 minute travel time to lodging, shopping centers, appointments, hospitals and the El Paso International Airport.
4. In 2017, El Paso, Texas ranks as the Number 2 SAFEST city in the USA.

How Do I Register With IMS For Prenatal Care?

1. Contact Dr. Novoa through the following secured email address: drnovoa@novoamed.com.
2. You will be asked to send prenatal records from your current physician, to include a letter of SAFE TRAVEL from your obstetrician stating that there are minimal risks for you to travel to El Paso for subsequent prenatal care.
   • All ultrasounds done during current pregnancy to include at least one ultrasound done within 2 weeks of travel.
   • Requested labs include:
     • Blood type, RH Factor
     • Indirect Coombs
     • Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
     • HIV
     • VDRL/RPR
     • Rubella IgG
     • PAP
     • Gonorrhea/Chlamydia Cultures
     • Trichomoniasis
3. After reviewing your medical records, Dr. Novoa will send you an email confirming an appointment date.
4. You will not be asked or be required to pay a deposit for prenatal services until you are evaluated by Dr. Novoa in person and have signed a contract agreement for services. However, contract fee must be paid in full by the 26th week of pregnancy.
5. If you request a LETTER OF INTENT which will be used to obtain a travel visa, a service fee of $250 will be required which can be paid by credit card and which will be applied towards the cost of your contract agreement when you arrive in El Paso.
6. Services are paid as a global fee for low-risk vaginal, primary or repeat Cesarean section or Trial of Labor After Cesarean Section(TOLAC)/Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Section (VBAC).
   1. Vaginal Singleton Package: $3000
   2. Vaginal Twin Package: $3300
   3. Repeat Singleton Cesarean Section: $3300
   4. Repeat Twin Cesarean Section: $3600
   5. Singleton VBAC: $3500
   6. Twin VBAC: $4000
7. Pediatric Services are not included in global delivery fee and average $500.
8. Hospital fees are not included in global delivery fee and range from $3900 to $4800 for a 3 Day Stay.

At What Hospital Will I Be Delivering?

Dr. Novoa has privileges at a number of private hospitals in the El Paso, Texas area. However, due to the complexity and high-risk nature of many of his pregnant patients, Dr. Novoa chooses to deliver at only one hospital, which is THE HOSPITALS OF PROVIDENCE, SIERRA CAMPUS (THOP). Although Dr. Novoa has privileges at THOP, it has no contract agreements with the hospital to refer patients and has no financial conflicts of interest to disclose regarding the hospital.