Do you know the cost of childbirth in the United States? Time’s Money magazine reports that the average hospital cost of having a baby in the U.S. is $3,035 — and that number can sail up toward and over the $10,000 mark, depending on your state. Add on complications, tests and related expenses like epidurals, and the total cost can start to look daunting.
While that may not at first seem like something for you to worry about, the role health benefits play and the high potential for financial stress make it an important consideration for any business whose employees may be planning or building families.
What Can Cause Your Employees’ Bills to Rise?
Remember, the costs mentioned above only refer to standard vaginal deliveries with no complications. A premature baby or conditions like preeclampsia will cause costs to rise.
To keep reading, click here: Controlling Costs: Pregnancy and Childbirth
Great article discussion on keeping healthcare costs down including pregnancy and childbirth. I would hope that the facilities covered by the insurance would be able to handle appropriately any health conditions for these conditions and would have approved referrals for any special circumstances. The only point not made in the article was making the choice based only on the cost being low, as that choice results in very poor coverage. The cost should be affordable for the employees based on their salaries.
Your quoted cost is for the hospital only. You need to add the doctor fee, labs pre and post birth for Mom and baby, prescriptions for both, pediatrician who usually visits baby in the hospital, and good luck finding an anesthesiologist who’s in network. Plus there is the fee for someone with insurance vs the charges for those without, which can be ten times the with insurance amount.