Having a baby can indeed be a “blessed event”, as Lucy and Ricky once put. However, between health insurance and unexpected medical bills and other associated costs, it can also be an extremely stressful time. According to a five-year study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, nearly a quarter of pregnant and recently pregnant women said they were unable to afford necessary health care, and three-fifths said they were worried about paying medical bills. Additionally, more than half of the women surveyed expressed general financial anxiety about monthly bills and housing costs.
A recent survey by Quote Wizard by Lending Tree pegs the national average cost of childbirth at $11,687, with child care not far behind at $10,075. Add health insurance costs to $5,227, and the numbers are pretty daunting. Pregnancy website The Bump, however, reports that delivery costs and prenatal care can sometimes total over $250,000. Tests like chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis can all increase the bill, even with insurance coverage.
Geography plays a big role in these costs. Quote Wizard looked at the average cost of health insurance, child care, and vaginal and C-section deliveries for people with and without insurance to determine how much it costs in each state to have a baby.
Even though some states may be less expensive than others, the price of childbirth may still be high enough to put off potential parents. “You look, anecdotally, at the cost of other countries and the United States, even in the cheapest states, pays a lot more,” said Nick VinZant, one of the study’s co-authors from QuoteWizard. . “It’s with health insurance, for the most part; If you don’t have health insurance, you could pay three times as much. I certainly think we’ve reached the point where people have to choose not to have children, because they can’t afford them.
See our slideshow above for the most (and cheapest) states in the US for childbirth, and Click here for the full report.
