How Do I Negotiate With a Hospital On The Price of Giving Birth?

Question

I am due in February and my doctor told me he delivers at two hospitals and told me which one was the better one. He said I needed to get a quote from this hospital and then get a quote from every other hospital in town. Then, he said I could negotiate with them to get them to beat the best price. Does anyone know who I talk to in a hospital to do this and how I go about doing it? I got the quotes, it's the negotiating that is the problem. If I screw this up I don't have another chance. Yikes!

Answer 1

You call the billing department. Keep in mind, I did a price check on our local hospital, and you pay for EVERYTHING seperately. The OB with prenatal care for me was $3800. The hospital for me and the baby was $6800 with only ONE overnight. The anesthesia is $900. ASSUMING NOTHING GOES WRONG.

Then you ask them if they have a prepaid discount, if you get it all paid off before you go into labor. But the hospital billing department is ONLY going to worry about the $6800. You ALSO have pediatrician, anesthesia, and heaven forbid you have a c section, YIKES!!!

I compared that to a trained, licensed midwife with a home birth - $3800 here, with a $700 discount if you're paid before week 36, including ALL prenatal care and testing. AND, here in HOuston, the midwife homebirths are SAFER than the hospital births.

You ALSO might want to consider a BIRTHING CENTER.

Answer 2

You should talk to someone in the Patients Accounts department or just call the operator at the hospital and ask to be transferred to the billing department, or explain to the operator what you are trying to do and they will get you to the correct department. Once you get the prices negotiate with the hospital that you like the most by telling them the prices that you would be paying at another hospital for the same services.

Hope this was helpful

Answer 3

I assume you don't have medical insurance? If you do, costs are already negotiated and agreed upon between the hospital and your insurance company. You won't be involved in any negotiations.

If you DON'T have insurance - most hospitals are not going to aggressively negotiated their fees with you. Truly, it doesn't make any difference to them if you have your baby there, or at another hospital across town. You should choose the hospital based on its reputation and the care it will provide to you and your infant. Personally, I'd go with the one your doctor said was the better one. He should know. Then once you make your decision, contact the hospital and try to work out a suitable payment plan.

Good luck!

Answer 4

If you can do it, offering cash up front can bring down the price significantly. Hospitals have lots of costs in bad debt collection, and you are guaranteeing that they won't have those with you.

Also, find someone who has an HMO and has given birth lately. Review their statements and see how much they get paid by the HMO. That should give you a beginning basis for negotiation.

-->Adam

Answer 5

If you have insurance, there is no negotiation on your part, the insurance deals with that.

If you're paying for it yourself, then you get the quotes and then pick a hospital, call them to patient accounts and ask if there will be any discount for a self-paying patient.

Answer 6

not what you want to hear but if you lived in British Columbia. its free. we pay $ 96.00 a month for medicare for two people. Hospitals are free. low income get free medicare.. Good luck, By the way BC is booming now. the Olympics are comming. Coast Mountain bus is 600 drivers short they pay $25.00 per hour. help wanted signs all over

Answer 7

The price is the price. No hospital will negotiate with you.