baby delivery costs??

[PrncessA]

We had DD in 2007 when HMO's were still easy to find and get. TOTAL we paid $115 for all of my pre-natal visits and the delivery. I had very high blood pressure with her as well and had at least 4 ultra sounds and had twice a week appointments for almost 3 months. Boy do I miss the days of HMO's.

Now we are a standard PPO 80/20 with a $1,000/$400 deductible.

 

[a742246]

Medical Costs in this country is out of hand. Here is an article that shows different countries and what they pay on average for childbirth.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...expensive-fees-epidural-placenta-removal.html

 

[Jedimom]

I feel there is more people who cheat the system then those who honestly truly need it.

We'll have to agree to disagree. It's been my experience (and there are numbers out there to support) that there are relatively few people out there cheating the system. Do some? Absolutely -- I've met them. As another poster recommended, go visit a homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter, food bank and you'll find that most are employed (some even FULL TIME!) or legitimately disabled and just trying to make it.

All I'm venting about is my husband and I have good jobs, insurance and work hard to get everything we got and we STILL have to pay alot for a child,

People who work at McDonald's, Walmart, and the like work a heckuva lot harder than I do, I can guarantee you that, and they make peanuts compared to me. *I* worked a whole lot harder, trying to get ahead, when I was on welfare than I do now. "Hard work" does not guarantee high pay nor does it guarantee affordable health coverage.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

There are TONS of people who work hard who get assistance. I am so tired of people vilifying the poor.

I worked for CIGNA back in the 90's. If you don't like your husband's insurance plan then you need to take that up with his employer. The employer chooses the plan and the insurance company will pay for whatever they opt to provide. Insurance costs have been rising exponentially since the 90's yet no one seems to have cared till the ACA came into effect. For all of you who only paid $20 for your entire pregnancy and delivery , who do you think pays the difference?

 

[averysmom]

Medical Costs in this country is out of hand. Here is an article that shows different countries and what they pay on average for childbirth. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2352687/How-cost-giving-birth-U-S-TRIPLED-1996-9-775--thanks-expensive-fees-epidural-placenta-removal.html

This is the conversation that people need to be having. Why is healthcare so expensive in the US? Why do doctors charge so much? Non-citizens have to pay for healthcare in Canada, but those paid rates are in many cases 1/4-1/3. I think an uncomplicated birth with all your prenatal and hospital stay (from check in until 2 nights after the baby is born) is $3000.00 in my province. For non-citizens. (Mine is paid with my taxes). Why is it so so so much more in the US?

I know from previous discussions, one reason that is brought up is malpractice insurance and therefore tort laws. I think this area has to be looked at before medical costs are going to stabilize. Lots of people have mentioned how much healthcare has skyrocketed since the 1990s. When did the whole lawsuit craze start? The woman who sued McDonalds (and won) for her coffee being too hot? The ambulance chasing lawyer ads on TV and billboards? I bet late 80s, early 90s. I'm no statistician, but I'm sure the two have a direct correlation!

 

[crisi]

Here is an interesting vblog by John Green (he wrote The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska - both really good teen lit books) on health care costs in the U.S.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSjGouBmo0M

 

[Momoftwins+1]

My first was adopted fifteen years ago - and was $16 or $18k. My second was bio and I had full coverage insurance, we never saw a bill. But that was fourteen years ago.

However, I want to warn you - if $8k seems like a lot of money, its a drop in the overall bucket - fifteen years ago daycare for two kids was $1600 a month. Right now I have teenagers who don't drive - so we are in the "cheap stage"- I only needed to spend $1200 for sports this winter. The'll both start driving in the next two years and we will add $500 a month to insurance. If your public schools aren't acceptable, factor in tuition. Our Disney trips cost $2k more in airfare and park tickets than when we were child free. Diapers and formula were $200 a month - again, more than a decade ago. "But I'll breast feed!" Yeah, my daughter didn't latch - then she did - then she said "enough with that, I like a bottle better because I can see the world!" (She really hasn't changed since the day she was born). My son is fifteen and active - half the grocery bill is feeding him. I'm not saying they aren't worth it, but children on one of those things that you think "they'll be cheaper when they are out of diapers" and then discover that there is just something else you pay for - they never get cheaper - daycare costs turn into saving for college. Diaper costs become fees for pee wee football. You wonder if all children go through four pairs of tennis shoes a year. You'll figure out a way to afford it, but it will be expensive.

This...you will never be fully prepared financially and the expenses never...ever <did I mention ever?> stop. Birth just shows you a bill all in a small window a time making it sound large. Children's expenses only go up for the greater part of 20+ years <Just ask my grocery budget with 3 boys> Being prepared is great, finding out where you stand with insurance is great, but remember, you will never feel fully prepared and there is never going to be a "right" time. Time slips away quickly.

 

[a742246]

Here is an interesting vblog by John Green (he wrote The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska - both really good teen lit books) on health care costs in the U.S.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSjGouBmo0M

Nice short and sweet video on health care costs.

 

[AJ1983]

I haven't read through this whole thread, so maybe some fellow Canadians have already commented but WOW! Thousands of dollar to deliver a baby?? I can't imagine having to incur that expense...around here, the first major costs are for childcare!

 

[Irin997]

I haven't read through this whole thread, so maybe some fellow Canadians have already commented but WOW! Thousands of dollar to deliver a baby?? I can't imagine having to incur that expense...around here, the first major costs are for childcare!

Not to mention as a Canadian you are able to stay home with you little one for 1 year while in the US, our jobs are only protected for 12 weeks UNPAID - unless you or your employer pay into short tem disability. Luckily mine does so I will have 2 weeks of fully paid, 4 weeks of 2/3rds pay (6 weeks for c-section), and then another 6 weeks of completely unpaid maternity leave. Then it's most likely back to work for me unless DH gets a huge raise.

 

[angierae]

Not to mention as a Canadian you are able to stay home with you little one for 1 year while in the US, our jobs are only protected for 12 weeks UNPAID - unless you or your employer pay into short tem disability. Luckily mine does so I will have 2 weeks of fully paid, 4 weeks of 2/3rds pay (6 weeks for c-section), and then another 6 weeks of completely unpaid maternity leave. Then it's most likely back to work for me unless DH gets a huge raise.

I work for an employer with less than 50 employees, so we don't even get FMLA. You use up your vacation and sick time, and then maybe you can negotiate some unpaid time. The last woman in our office to have a baby quit, the one before that came back after 3 weeks.

 

[crisi]

Nice short and sweet video on health care costs.

Plus he's really sort of adorable in a geeky way, isn't he?

 

[Irin997]

I work for an employer with less than 50 employees, so we don't even get FMLA. You use up your vacation and sick time, and then maybe you can negotiate some unpaid time. The last woman in our office to have a baby quit, the one before that came back after 3 weeks.

Oh yeah I forgot about the number of employees. That is so tough to be worried about a newborn and your job stability. I can't imagine going back after 3 weeks!

 

[AJ1983]

Not to mention as a Canadian you are able to stay home with you little one for 1 year while in the US, our jobs are only protected for 12 weeks UNPAID - unless you or your employer pay into short tem disability. Luckily mine does so I will have 2 weeks of fully paid, 4 weeks of 2/3rds pay (6 weeks for c-section), and then another 6 weeks of completely unpaid maternity leave. Then it's most likely back to work for me unless DH gets a huge raise.

That just...sucks. I'm sure regardless of the cost it is worth it to have a child, but I hadn't even thought of the limited leave permitted...I can't imagine placing an infant in daycare. Here, alot of places will not take kids under 2, and if they do, it costs an arm and a leg.

 

[MrsPooh]

I haven't read this entire thread but wanted to throw out a reminder that things don't always go according to plan.

We had a "surprise" pregnancy. Our health ins was through my employer with a $1,500 deductible and then 20% after that with no limit. Unfortunately my pregnancy resulted in my immediately being unable to work, multiple ER visits, and home health care for over three months. I was laid off about 8 weeks into this and so our insurance coverage ended. We were very fortunate to be able to get on insurance at my husband's employer. We had already hit the deducible and been paying 20%. When his insurance took over we had another $1,500 deductible and then 20% again with no maximum. Home health bills were sometimes over $200/day. So even at 20% our cost was still $40/day plus the costs of prescriptions. This was in addition to the usual ob/gyn expenses and ultrasounds.

Of course my dd wasn't due until February so we started a new year, new health insurance plan with dh's employer, and a whole new round of co-pays and deductibles. Plus the new insurance refused to cover my meds so we had out of pocket for necessary meds of nearly $100 day.

Remember I lost my job so we had lost my income and my dh had to care for me while I was on home health care so his income for the year was dramatically reduced.

I lost track of our total costs. Some were reduced and some were written off by the providers because of our situation but truth be told we've not yet recovered financially and it is nearly 10 years later.

Best advise is to plan as best you can but be ready for the unexpected because with kiddos there is always something unexpected.

 

[bettymae1121]

My 2012 OOP cost was $10 for the whole shootin' match...from the first OB visit to the day DD and I were discharged from the hospital. But the hospital portion alone was $15k (normal delivery w/epidural and a 2.5 day stay) according to the copy of the bill I got. I never saw the bills from the OB so I don't know what the pre-natal ran. I had 3 U/S, two rounds of blood work, a glucose test, and a brief hospital stay in L & D when the OB was worried about some borderline BP levels I had about 7 days before I was due (total waste of time, I was fine. But it was fun to be hooked up to the heart beat monitor for 4 hours!).

 

[MrsPooh]

and a brief hospital stay in L & D when the OB was worried about some borderline BP levels I had about 7 days before I was due (total waste of time, I was fine. But it was fun to be hooked up to the heart beat monitor for 4 hours!).

Lucky for you that all was fine. My BP level got so high that I could not leave the hospital bed and had to be induced. Just upped the total cost a little but better then the possible bad outcome.

 

[jkmommy]

My total OOP expense for each of my kids was $30, plus the cost any prenatal vitamins I took. My son's delivery in 2010 was pretty by the book, but I had to have an induction for my daughter's birth last April. The cost was the same.

 

[Gracie09]

Lucky for you that all was fine. My BP level got so high that I could not leave the hospital bed and had to be induced. Just upped the total cost a little but better then the possible bad outcome.

I lost track of the amt of emergency hospital visits I had. Pre-eclampsia is a witch. Then the early delivery via c-section and five days confined to bed not even seeing my daughter until day three. Fun times. But all added to the $130k paid by my insurance company.

 

[crisi]

I lost track of the amt of emergency hospital visits I had. Pre-eclampsia is a witch. Then the early delivery via c-section and five days confined to bed not even seeing my daughter until day three. Fun times. But all added to the $130k paid by my insurance company.

On the plus side - you (and I) have something in common with Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey. Except now they watch you like a hawk and induce you or give you a c-section before you die (usually).