Baby $$$ Hospital Bills

[Xpcting#3]

Just after I heard an NPR piece on the French health care system, I got the bill information from the hospital. For my unmedicated birth/1 night stay, it's $5000+ for me, $1000+ for Milo. The midwife fee and prenatal visits aren't included in this, and will surely be close to another $2000.

I've got a high deductible insurance plan, so some of these costs will be covered. But I think the state of health care in this country is the surest sign that we don't live in a democracy - who doesn't want affordable, decent health care?

My first two kids were born when I had great coverage. Even though it was a hassle finding providers who were part of the plan, I didn't worry about finding the money to cover my newborn's hospital costs. I can't help but think about all those folks who live in countries where they've never SEEN a medical bill, never had to pour over options for an open enrollment period, never had to make call after call to get a legitimate expense covered.

And I'm one of the lucky ones - I have access to a high deductible plan through my employer. When I got these bills, I sent a prayer out to all for all of us who might be stressed by the medical/birth bills that are coming our way now that our babes are here...

[Lizafava]

Thats insane. $8000.00 for an unmedicated birth....... unreal. We paid out of pocket for our homebirth, and are now dealing with insurance and medicaid issues so we can take DS2 to the doctor for some potentially serious issues (probably not, but we need to make sure). We would have taken him in much sooner if the health care system made any sense at all.

[BirthFree]

I didn't pay anything for my birth but $400 to our doula and $175 for my tub (I didn't even get to use - poo)... but while I don't have to pay our midwife who backed us up, I'm going to put together a gift for her b/c I appreciate her help so very much.

But I am also on medicaid while pg so I would not have had to pay anything out of pocket all the same... it's been a blessing as our first birth was horribly expensive (a homebirth to hospital transfer so in essence we paid two people to have our baby).

I know 'cheap' or 'free' isn't the reason to UC, but it's a positive side effect.

[franjapany]

have you seen the movie 'sicko' by michael moore? that really paints a good picture of america's health care system... totally shocked me.

I am from germany but live in thailand now and here we don't have a great insurance like we used to (I never had to pay for a doctor's appointment in my life before I came here). we were going to have a homebirth but ended up with an emergency c/s bc DS was presenting with his brow. I was a little concerned about the hospital costs, but fortunately those things are really affordable here: for three nights/four days in a private room with tv and w-lan, operation with spinal block, daily checkups from pediatrician and ob and excellent care from the nurses, stitch removal and 1-month ped/ob check included we paid 700€, which is about 1.100 USD. I thought that was a pretty good deal for what we got...

[MamaHen2J&J]

I agree Sicko is a must see.. after seeing it I told dh I'd pack my family up in a heart beat and move somewhere for medical care if we needed it.

[kltroy]

Yeah... even worse here in Chicago. MY unmedicated hospital VBAC (1 night in L&D - baby born at 3:36 AM - and one night in postpartum) bill totaled $9800, plus we got a separate bill for Claire's stuff, which is another $1900. Ok explain to me why I get charged for a room ($2400) and my BABY - who stayed with me - got charged too ($700)? Actually, I need to call about some of these since I suspect they just billed us for the "standard" stuff. Lots of weird stuff on mine... Thank God we have decent insurance.

[JustVanessa]

Originally Posted by kltroy

Thank God we have decent insurance.

I was just thinking Thank god I live in Canada.

to all of you dealing with this.

Total costs for my pregnancy+43 hr medicated birth+ 1 night hospital stay=$0

[Twwly]

No kiddin' Vanessa. $0 here also. Prenatal care x2, medicated hosp delivery x1, home delivery x1 and post partum HOME visits x2... I can only imagine what that woulda cost me....

[ChristyM26]

Heh. Be grateful that's the only bill you have! My birth was around the same as that ($8K, IIRC) but then I got the NICU and neonatologist bill. So far, we're up to $22,000, just for a week. I think there's another bill coming though. :

[Aries1985]

I don't even know what my hospital bill will be, but I'm sure it'll be huge. I ended up with an emergency c-section and a 4.5 day stay in the hospital. Thankfully my baby was completely healthy, but still I'm so greatful for good insurance. We will only pay $500.

[butterfly1001]

Yeah, when people hear what I paid (out of pocket, but I'll try submitting to insurance just in case) for my homebirth, and that insurance usually won't cover it.... they think it's crazy! Why wouldn't they want to pay for something that cheap over what they have to pay for a hospital birth?!

[*mama moose*]

I'm having sticker shock too, I used to be on medicaid so I've never had a share of cost with insurance. I had a homebirth (which hopefully Aetna will pay for in the near future!!), but was sent to the hospital the day before for a bunch of tests. The bill for that was over 3,000 dollars and they are asking 586 from me! I was there less than 3 hours, had an u/s, NST, some bloodwork, and a urine test. I never even saw a Dr, just a nurse! I don't even want to imagine how much a birth there would have cost me....

[lmonter]

Yeah. My giant grand total from my oldest? $25,000.
$10,000 for me, my quick vaginal delivery (we arrived at the hospital at 5am, he was born at 7:46am), a failed induction, and OB and the hospital rooms for 34-36 hours.
$15,000 for the 4.5-5 days kiddo spent in the NICU after they kidnapped him off to it to make more money off the stupid first-time parents.

We paid $5,000 out of pocket for it all. And my salary at the time? $17,000 or so that year. Luckily hubby also had a job, but still. : Is it any wonder I started looking into a midwife and such after all that?

[Oonah]

Originally Posted by Aries1985

I don't even know what my hospital bill will be, but I'm sure it'll be huge. I ended up with an emergency c-section and a 4.5 day stay in the hospital. Thankfully my baby was completely healthy, but still I'm so greatful for good insurance. We will only pay $500.

That's what we pay too...I also had a section and we stayed 3 days.

[PiesandAbrosmama]

Wow that's more then I have paid for all 4 of my births combined! Yikes ola.. . I'm so sorry: