Documents to bring to the hospital
ID, insurance card, and any paperwork your hospital asks for.
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ID and insurance card
For surgery, MedlinePlus includes your insurance card and a photo ID, like a driver's license. For a birth stay, it includes your insurance card.
Admission papers
For a birth stay, MedlinePlus includes any admission papers and notes that you might need to register before you arrive. Ask your hospital or birth center whether it offers pre-registration and what it needs from you.
Paperwork your hospital asks for
Ask your hospital or birth center whether it needs other papers, and bring those.
Advance directives
The National Institute on Aging says some people carry a card in their wallet saying they have an advance directive and where it is kept. Ask your hospital whether to bring a copy.
Contacts
For a birth stay, MedlinePlus includes contact details for the clinician who will see your baby.
Ask about what you take
Ask your clinician and your hospital how to handle any medicines you take.
FAQ
General information only, not medical advice. We are not a hospital, birth center, or health care provider, and we cannot tell you what your hospital provides, allows, or requires. Ask your clinician and your hospital or birth center what to bring and what to expect. For car seats, follow the seat maker's instructions and your vehicle owner's manual, and see NHTSA's car seat guidance. If you think you have a medical emergency, call 911.
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Five groups, one pouch.
