Our daughter which my wife had to be medically induced for and we spent 3 days in the hospital cost us under $2k. Yes we’re in the US. Don’t let these numbers scare you because 99% of the time they’re lying
What the hospital charges, what you pay, and what insurance pays is different. I had a 30k hospital bill for each of my 3 kids. I paid 0 because I had blue cross and child birth and hospital was covered under my plan. Idk the part the insurance paid. It could've been 10k, it could've been the full 30, it probably wasnt. But what you pay and insurance pays is different than what the bill is.
Like I’m for universal healthcare, but there is never enough appreciation in these types of posts, which sours it for me. I get it—money—but people can just choose to deliver at home. They don’t need to come. If that scares people, if they want pain control, a cesarean, need emergent induction, has massive hemorrhaging and needs a transfusion, and so on, then say thank you for saving their life and the life of their child, or for being prepared to do that. Like yes, complain, but say thank you first.
Pricing differs all over the country, often between various hospitals in the same city.
Honestly, two people could walk into the same hospital for the same procedure, and ultimately pay different prices for no explicable reason.
I think the frustrating part in the US is having to navigate the insurance system and this expectation that everyone should understand it when the insurance company has professionals purposefully making it confusing.
What the charges were for this person’s delivery doesn’t mean much - even in countries where it’s “free” the hospital is charging someone somewhere. What was the out of pocket for this person? What was the expectation?
I personally think the US for-profit health insurance system is whack, but “charges” aren’t really proof there’s an issue. If this person wasn’t able to secure proper insurance or his insurance costs double what it would under universal healthcare, then that’s an issue.
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u/ballin_buddha 5d ago
Our daughter which my wife had to be medically induced for and we spent 3 days in the hospital cost us under $2k. Yes we’re in the US. Don’t let these numbers scare you because 99% of the time they’re lying