The cost of birth

[make_your_move]

From Regis & Kelly this morning, for births in a hospital in New York:

Uncomplicated vaginal delivery: $10,000

C-section: $12 to $15,000

Complicated pregnancy: $287,000

What we charge at the birth center for a home or birth center birth, normal pregnancy, including labs & usually 1 ultrasound: $4800

And yet, a lot of insurance companies still don't cover this as an option....

Comments

And we see yet another reason for the high # of C-sections

[sierra-victor.livejournal.com]

Sad. Very sad.

S_V

[chavah.livejournal.com]

And many states still make it illegal making it impossible for insurance to pay AND impossible for midwives to go after someone for non-payment.

Anyway, yes... it's obscene!

[musicman.livejournal.com]

They should cover all valid forms of birthing.

It would even be nice if they covered all valid forms of family additions, including adoption for those who can not have children otherwise. While many employer-sponsored health insurance plans will cover pregnancy and delivery, including all the complications, they rarely will cover much of any adoption. I protested my employer's lack of assisatance some years ago and the company told me they took a poll of the employees to ask what benefits they wanted covered, and not enough employees inicated adoption. When I protested louder, and pointed out that popularity contests are not a valid means of determining need, they changed the policy to include a couple thousand dollars assistance, and congratulated themselves for being so good to the employees. Even an uncomplicated adoption is going to be many times that amount.

I tell you, the world is Not Fair!

[robins1stwife.livejournal.com]

Question...if a birth has to be moved from the birthing center due to complications or whatever, do the insurance companies pay or do they use the "unconventional birth plan" as an excuse to not allow it? No reason for asking, just curious.

[mellyflori.livejournal.com]

This irks the snot out of me. The right decision for me was to go with a very traditional setup (OB, hospital, etc.) but that doesn't mean it's the right decision for everyone else and I think it's asinine that they should be forced into something they don't want as much as it would be asinine for me to be forced into it.

How is it better for a woman who really wanted a birth center/homebirth to be subjected to a stressed-out hospital delivery (and any complications that stress level might result in)? They'd never look at me and insist that I do the opposite.

*le sigh*

[bella-peligrosa.livejournal.com]

I actually think the insurance I'm under now will cover this...I've gotta check it out, but there's at least a partial payment for it.

[jacylrin.livejournal.com]

I so wish I qualified for a birth center if I get pregnant again, but I probably don't. My GP and OB have already said that if I do get pregnant, the cardiologist is going to have to be consulted because of my mitral valve prolapse. I found out the other day that my favorite doctor from the OB/GYN office has left the practice. I'll probably stick with the practice, but need to figure out who I'll get along best with.