Having a baby at the hospital?

Question

How much does it cost to have a baby at the hospital?

I heard that it cost at least $3000!!! Is this true??

Answer 1

They will negotiate a price for cash paying patients, but you have to pay before you leave the hospital. five years ago in orange county it was $1800. you have to preregister, and do not get anestisia, they charge by the hour, and if it really hurts and they say you have back labor, it generally doesn't work for thiss kind of pain.

Answer 2

It's free...for Canadians, and any other country that has Socialised Medicine.

If you really want to know, call the hospitals in your area and ask what the cost for a simple birthing is with an absolute minimum of fuss and muss. That will give you the low-end that you can pray for... Double that for a normal "non-problem" birthing where minor additional items have to occur - like the fixing of vaginal tearing and a week or so in the hospital recovering and bonding with the baby... Then ask for the average for a problematic birthing is, and budget for that much as a minimum.

Birthin' babies is the most natural thing in the world, and it is one of the messiest things someone can do. The monitoring and clean-up plus the medical support for a healthy child and said child's mother (plus the pre-natal treatment) is what costs all the money. Your other option is a Home Birth, which is, in many ways, cheaper than a Hospital, but if something goes wrong, you don't have the back-up.

In any case, both Hospital and "Home" births have both benefits and problems all uniquely their own.

Good luck!!!

Answer 3

With our first baby, it cost over $7,000 that we had to pay out of pocket and that was two years ago... but our insurance sucks too. With this baby (due in March), we're already approaching that 7 grand mark, but then again, we still have the same crappy insurance.

Answer 4

If you live in the States, vag delivery averages $7,500, c-sections are over $10,000. Then there could be additional costs if the baby needs Neo-natal care or if the post-partum stay is prolonged for some reason.

Answer 5

where i live (oregon) it's about $5500-6000 for the facility fee.
the doctor has thier own fees, the anesthesiologist has their own fees, pediatrician fees, and there are other fees not included...
(c-sections usually run around $30,000-40,000 or more)

it was one thing that helped me to decide on a birthing center (though a fairly minor one--the quality of care from the particular midwives i chose was the main reason!)
(birthing centers cost about half as much, btw... or less; and most insurance will cover them if operated by CNWs)

Answer 6

It depends on where you live, it is higher than that here, but if you have insurance they usually pay 80%. They can't turn you down if you can't afford to pay, but they will work with you. When I had my daughter in 1974 it was $144. When I had my sons in the early 80's it was over $2000. This doesn't include the Drs. fee's either.

Answer 7

Not sure about anywhere else, but in Texas, they have to take you if you are in labor, and medical can not go against your credit. But yes, it is very expensive. A county hospital is ok, but been there done that. And wouldn't do it again. Good Luck to ya! And Merry Christmas.

Answer 8

I think it depends where you live, seems very pricey in America. In Australia, I gave birth in a hospital and stayed for 3 nights and did not pay one cent. It was all covered by Medicare.

Answer 9

That was just my doctors fees....but I tore really bad so had surgery to suture me back up that was another $1400 for him. The hospital had their own charges. I've got insurance...I think I totaled less than $800 out of pocket.

Answer 10

Nationally, a natural delivery cost $7,737, with C-sections averaging about $11,000.

Quoted from here:
http://tinacassidy.blogspot.com/2007/06/cost-of-giving-birth.html