How much does it cost to have a baby in America???

Question

As we're on the NHS here, was just wondering if you have to pay to have a baby in a hospital in America, and also if you have to pay a doctor?? What do you do if you're struggling with money??? Do you have to pay for ultrasounds? I know its random.. But i was just wondering.

Sorry ive posted this twice, didn't think it worked the first time....

Answer 1

My first birth cost me about $20. All prenatal care and ultrasounds were covered.  My insurance paid for most of it.  The total bill was around $5000 for a normal vaginal birth with no drugs.

For my next pregnancies I had crappier insurance. My second pregnancy I miscarried and I had to have a D&C and a blood transfusion.  The total bill was $9400.  I paid about $6000 out of pocket.

My third pregnancy I had my baby at home.  We paid our midwives $2800 and the insurance reimbursed us for all but $300.  Their bill included all prenatal and postpartum care.

Edited to add: Our insurance costs us $200 a month.  Preventative care is covered at 100% (well baby visits, pap smears, annual checkups)  Everything else is on a deductable.  We have a $3000 annual deductable.  So everything is out of  pocket until we reach it.  Then the insurance cover 80% of the bill.  Yes, it really added to my stress.  What made it worse was that my m/c was in November.  So right after the new year, I had a new deductable.  I had my second baby the next October so we had to meet that deductible again before any pregnancy related care would be covered.  Pregnancy care is not considered preventative care.  Makes me wonder why we bother with insurance at all.   Our hospital has programs for people without insurance to pay for their bills but because we had insurance we weren't eligible for them.  We had to come up with the money to pay our midwives out of pocket for Pregnancy #3 while paying the bill for Pregnancy #2.  We still don't have the miscarriage paid off.  We got sent to collections for it.

Answer 2

Having a child in America well where I live in Portland costs about 3000-5000 dollars..usually insurance covers the hospital stay..ultrasounds..and doctor fees..if you don't have insurance I know that ultrasounds run about 400 dollars a piece around here if you don't have insurance theres this thing called Medicaid it helps pay for hospital expenses from having a baby.

Answer 3

yes you do pay for the hospital, doctor included. you can try to get on medicaid or AIM if your low on money and it will cut the costs greatly. good luck

Answer 4

I find that incredible!

It's ridiculous that families have to pay that much in the US to have their babies.

I live in Ireland and women here do not need insurance or money to receive care during pregnancy or birth -- absolutely everything from check ups, to ultrasounds, to medicated births are absolutely free of charge.

I would be mighty pissed if I were a pregnant American woman.

Answer 5

Wow, I was just reading the answers, that's alot of money, if you have no insurance. I live in Canada, just had a baby 10 months ago and I didn't have to pay anything. We have health care here!