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Moms Are Sharing How Much Their Hospital Bill Was For Giving Birth, And It’s Crazy How Different The Numbers Are
One mom and TikTok user has just paid off her medical bill for giving birth to her daughter almost 2 years ago. To get some context for her situation, she posted a video on the platform asking other moms to share what age their kid was when they were finally able to pay off their childbirth bills as well.
Turns out, it’s a hot topic. Moms from all over the world immediately started responding to the question. One mom said giving birth to her premature son would’ve cost her nearly 3 million dollars but due to a few circumstances, she dodged the check. Another revealed her country fully covered it before they left the hospital.
The whole thread has become somewhat of a socioeconomic study on different healthcare systems across the globe, and it really can broaden your perspective on how governments — and people — deal with one of the most fundamental human experiences.
This TikTok user posted a video on the platform asking moms to share what age their kid was when paid off their childbirth bills
The mom in the original TikTok had a bit of a complicated delivery: she had preeclampsia and needed an emergency C-section. Luckily, she received great care and was only there for three days. However, given her circumstances, she thinks she shouldn’t have paid for it. “I think it’s awful that we were even met with a bill,” the mom told Bored Panda. “I was covered by very good insurance yet I still owed about $2,800 on a bill of just over $28,000.”
After initiating the discussion online, she heard stories of people being hit with $1 million bills for neonatal intensive care unit stays. “Also heartbreaking, [parents who suffered] miscarriage, stillbirth and death at the time of birth were still given huge bills to pay.”
“The responses to the video started a lot of conversations. Mainly that of who should or shouldn’t have a child,” she explained, adding that not all of the comments were supportive. Some were even along the lines of ‘You shouldn’t have a child if you can’t afford them’ too. “The commenters with the worst and most ignorant things to say were men. The Canadians have been really sweet though.”
Replies started flooding in immediately
Image credits: laysamichelle
Image credits: itschanningelizabeth
Image credits: momma_bekka04
The average cost to have a baby without complications in the US is $10,808 — which can increase to $30,000 when factoring in the care provided before and after pregnancy.
But when you consider that 2,621,010 American mothers had a vaginal birth and 1,232,339 had a C-section in 2017 alone, that’s a lot of money going into the healthcare system just from maternity costs.
Dr. Neel Shah, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, said the likelihood of a C-section in the US has increased by 500% since the early 1970s.
A lot of mothers in the TikTok discussion were jealous of those in Nordic countries. There, healthcare systems have a long heritage: Nordic healthcare systems are taxation-based and locally administrated with every citizen having equal access to services. More or less, mothers in Nordic countries have their babies free of charge.
Sparking a heated discussion in the comments
What do you think ?
giovanna 4 years ago
Americans: this is not what a first world country looks like. We pay 0 euros for giving birth. 0. Italy.
Nadine 4 years ago
Same in Spain. Zero. I'm American but I've lived here most of my life and I just can't understand how people continue to believe that the US is the "best" country in the world when it's lacking so many basic things in favor of capitalism and individualism. In certain areas like healthcare, it can't even be considered a first world country!
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PauPain 4 years ago
Y'all need to fix your health care system! This is shocking. I live in Finland and I struggle to understand this. They are ripping you off because that price has nothing to do with the actual cost of the procedure or your stay at the hospital. They estimated that giving birth here costs the municipality from 1000 to 4500 euros depending on how it goes (C-section or not). I think we pay per day (which is standard a fee if you end up in the hospital). The maximum cost is at 683 euros. 1 euro is 1,21 dollars.
Ripley 4 years ago
People who would benefit actively vote against it because "socialism". It's beyond bonkers.
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martin734 4 years ago
In the hospital I work at new parents don't pay for parking.
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Todd Hunter 4 years ago
Americans scream and cry like babies when someone suggests they pay taxes towards Universal Health Care so this is what they get. Grow up and fix your country.
Les🐝an 4 years ago
It is not the fault of all Americans, most of us want a change but every time we try we are thwarted. Why aren’t you fixing our healthcare, if it’s so easy.
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Saico Hipe 4 years ago
Growing up in the USA, I've lived in constant terror of failing health. I'm not rich, so if I ever get a major illness I'm completely f*cked: no work, no money, no health care. But yeah, tell me again how this is the greatest f*cking country on earth. 🙄
Nikki 4 years ago
Given how insane 'healthcare' in America is, I'm a little surprised that Midwives aren't more common, a fraction of the cost I'm sure and you're in the comfort of your own home, the use of Midwives in countries like Australia and New Zealand is very common and if there is an emergency, there would be little to no costs involved due to their, actually does work, Universal Healthcare. Comments from people who say that you should prepare for costs because that's what having children means, clearly don't have children, there is a big difference between being able to afford to raise your child and being stuck with a hospital bill in the thousands/hundreds of thousands just for giving birth.
Rosie Hamilton 4 years ago
Same in the UK. We make good use of midwives and giving birth at home is a fairly popular option.
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Roxy Eastland 4 years ago
I live in the UK, so of course I can give birth for free, including antenatal and postnatal appointments. With my first we had a very small inheritance so I gave birth at home with an independent midwife. Along with antenatal and postnatal appointments it came to somewhere just over £2K. You guys are being ripped off!! My second was born at home with NHS midwives, so cost nothing except cups of tea.
Charlotte 4 years ago
Same! I’m in the UK and wanted a home birth. I had a “personality clash” with my NHS midwife and I didn’t want the risk of her turning up at my birth. So we took some money from our house deposit fund and hired a pair of independent midwives. I had monthly, then weekly home anti natal check-ups and could call them for support at any time. I had a totally natural home birth with people I knew and trusted who knew my birth plan and reasons for my choices (so I knew if things went wrong, I could trust they would make decisions in line with my beliefs). I got daily check ups for a week after birth, and weekly for more than 6 weeks. Breast feeding support, mental health support (they came with me to the hospital when I developed PPD!) - one midwife even took my laundry home to wash for me! 12 years later we are still in touch. It cost us £1800. AND the NHS would still have been there, free of charge, had I needed them. These women are being exploited.
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cybermerlin2000 4 years ago
America! The land where the beggar shares a street corner with a Doctor, a Lawyer and an Insurer all with their greedy hands out asking for more and telling the beggar he is disgusting
Lia Joseph 4 years ago
This is crazy! 3 babies (one preemie so I had to have a cesarean), and my hospital bill for all is zero, and my disability paid my $25 ambulance bill. Ya'll have to fix your health-care system cuz this is foolish
Sentinel 4 years ago
& thats why i pity bernie. Hes been screaming for years & even his own party mostly doesnt back him. & there we go, a vicious cycle.I dont get it
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Bunny Wood 4 years ago (edited)
My wife had our daughter in the new Christchurch Womans. Difficulties ensued. Emergency C section. Intensive care in the natal ward. Costs? Not even parking as the hospital gave me a pass. If a modest town in New Zealand can do this and then give my wife 6 months paid leave, surely the USA can. Should mention these are big rooms on our own looking over a park.
JuJu 4 years ago
Nothing. Just 10€ per day when I got a "mothers' room" in the hospitag because my son had to stay at the neo for a few days. And we got gifts.
ilikeplants 4 years ago
My first baby cost $7000. I had no medications, no procedures, nothing. The doctor was there for a total of 15 minutes. Basically, I paid $7000 to sleep in their bed overnight. So, we chose to have our other babies at home. My sister's c-section cost $30,000.
Mike Crow 4 years ago
My youngest had to be rushed to the NICU due to him having dangerously low blood sugar levels. Toothless cost $0. Why? Because I live in Canada. Wake up USA!!!
Damilola Marshmallow 4 years ago
I'm beginning to wonder what the American government really do for its citizens
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
I'm sorry for the more than idiotic healthcare system in the USA. On the other side, Americans aren't doing anything to change the system. Biden even was told to drop this issue during his campaign or he wouldn't have any chance of winning the election. So as far as I'm concerned Americans can keep complaining about their healthcare and tell other people that they live in socialist shyteholes with their affordable healthcare BECAUSE YOU PAY 85% TAXES!!! (Shots in the air). In the end Americans are going to have to solve that problem by voting for the people that would commit to solve it, not for those who seek ways to make it even less accessible and affordable.
A 4 years ago
I spent 8 weeks in a private room in a maternity ward in the UK due to pregnancy complications Two whole months. I had fantastic care by midwives, nurses, ultrasound technicians, and obgyns. With at least 10 staff including 2 pediatricians in the delivery room, I gave birth to healthy twins, one of whom needed a short stay in the Special Care Baby Unit. Cost to our family: £0. Not one penny for a 2 month hospital stay. The only expense we had was parking when my husband came to visit. I will never understand why Americans allow insurance companies to manipulate them into believing socialized health care is a bad thing.
Luther von Wolfen 4 years ago
My mom was born in 1947, hospital bill was $27. Then the medical industry realized they could charge whatever they wanted.
Saara-Elina Kaukiainen 4 years ago
3 weeks in the hospital, emergency C-section, baby was 4 days in NICU and 6 days at the hospital after that. 650€ all together. Paid in full 2 weeks after released from the hospital. Finland.
LenkaS 4 years ago
Czech republic here - zero payments for the medical care (we all have insuranc eand everybody can afford it), it means no payments for giving birth. And, if the mom has low income, she can apply for a maternity grant that covers all necessary purchases at the beginning so the baby has all it needs
Panda Kicki 4 years ago
I get paid for it. Sweden has free maternity care and you get 125-200 euros a month when baby is born. Plus a nice gift bag and 480 days paid parental leave.
Ludwig Michiel 4 years ago (edited)
Belgian here. The hospital bill (birth with epidural, 3 nights in a spacious single room) for the birth of each of our sons was about 1 500 euro (after government funded insurance). After my wife's private insurance (which costs some 165 euro per year) there was 300 euro left. It should be noted that the government of Flanders (northern Belgium) gives a birth premium of 1 100 euro per child, so both the births were actually "financially positive" for about 800 euro. Several visits at home by a midwife before and after birth were also covered. Checkups with ultrasound at the gynaecologist were about 30 euro each. Belgium's government has many flaws, but I'm glad with the social security system.
Stephanie Anne 4 years ago
Yikes! I paid $30 because I wanted a tv in my private room. I'm Canadian
Baby Panda 4 years ago
things i learned from this: 1. kids are expensive 2. go to the UK or germany to have a kid and 3. you have to be rich if ya can't do number two
Carrie de Luka 4 years ago
Yep - though you would have to be careful. Most countries are now very well aware of what is termed 'medical tourism' and sooner or later that's going to get stopped for the majority.
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Don't Look 4 years ago
What this really does is grow disgust in the American medical system. Sometimes there are great people working for it and then magically it costs money. Serious money. The sad thing is Biden really cannot fix that.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
Do they have to give the kid back when they can't pay? this is ridiculous.
Candy Rae 4 years ago
No they cant force you to pay medical bills but they can refuse to see you again and it can ruin your credit. More people should refuse tp pay.
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Eric Mac Fadden 4 years ago
Even paying tax over tax over tax in Brazil we are born "free". Later gets expensive, but its just a detail....
The Cute Cat 4 years ago
That is USA's problem.. In Indonesia, a C-section in hospitals takes around 2K USD.. Normal birth is around 70 USD.. All is free if you use insurance especially govt-owned BPJS..
CincyReds 3 years ago
Damns I feel really lucky, had my son in 1993, I still have the bill in his baby book, I can't remember the amount, but all i had to pay was a $25.00 co-pay, because I was admitted in the hospital...Daughter born in 1998 , saved her bill too, I paid nothing... Insurance have totally changed since then. The bill for the doctor was a little over $2000.00 for 3 minutes, the nurses did everything, and brought him in at the last monute for one push/
Donna Rakowiecki 3 years ago
He men said women should think about the cost before having kids! Bet he's against free brith control too . Lets not forget opposing the right to choose. So poor people just don't have children. Tell her husband he ain't getting any tonight and see how that goes over. No sex is the punishment to the poor. Mean while try huge chucks of cash in and protest against higher wages. The rich total control everything so go bitch to them about it. And never forget If men got pregnant abortion would government paid benefit and birth control would be dispensed through Coin machines. At every corner even through birth it self would be free if men got pregnant. ... if corona made their d**k fall off this pandemic would have been over three d***s in. Bet we would see masks then! Huh big boy. Isn't there a war you want start so you can try out that shiny new gun?
Caroline Driver 3 years ago
Hey, America, greatest country in the world, where you can go bankrupt having a baby, or getting cancer. Then there are stupid questions on Quora about 'why do Brits think the NHS is so great?'
Socat 4 years ago
I'm shocked when I read things like "you should figure it out before having a baby, that's responsability." wow.. So if you're not wealthy (and seeing this we could even say if you're not part of the richest people in the country) you should not have a kid, and go f**k yourself with the most basic right in the world : to have a family ? And they continue to brag about the American Dream...
NWB 4 years ago
Yup I insurance paid for the whole thing, even if I didn't have insurance it would have been free in Australia, I had a specific obgyn which I why I went private. Another benefit....70k worth of care for Post Natal Depression I did not pay for....saved my life. America is not the land of the free, or freedom of speech or free anything, their reign of god like status is over!
Whizzle Pop 4 years ago
Americans, you do realise this isn't normal, right? Paying actual money to have a baby delivered safely would be some sort of barely credible dystopian nightmare in any part of the civilised world.
Cupcake Cloud 4 years ago
I still find it crazy that lockdowns made people protest in the street over lack of haircuts and what not. By that scale, the entire population should be flooding the streets with pitchforks by now, over how bad the healthcare system is in America. It's a money making machine, using the common people as a means of profit over things that should be basic human rights. It's absolutely despicable.
Clearly sunny 4 years ago
Lucky to be an Aussie, had emergency c- section and in hospital for 5 days.$0.
Jack Burton 4 years ago
In France you pay only if you want to choose a specific private clinic...
Chez 4 years ago
In South Africa it depends if you go the private route or government route. If you have medical aid and you go private, then generally you don't pay for the hospital stay but you may have to pay extra for doctors etc, or whatever additional things the medical aid doesn't pay for. If you have no medical aid and you go private, then you can pay anything from R30 000 up, depending on which hospital and what is required for the birth. If you go government, then you don't pay anything (someone correct me if I'm wrong, I have only ever done private + medical aid for my 3 kids). For my twins, I had gap cover on top of my medical aid, which then covered everything that the medical aid didn't cover. I think I only paid in about R6 000 to my gynae for the birth plus all the appointments.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
Paid nothing. My aunty had a son 3 months premmie and was in hospital for almost 4 months in an incubator with round the clock care and she too paid nothing.
Alexandra Prytkova 1 year ago
Living in Russia. The government payed for the birth of my son and the 7 days in the hospital after it. Got a maternity help from the government for his birth, had I been working when I had him, would have had a payed maternity leave for 3 years. And that's for the first. Would have gotten 1.5 million roubles from the government, should I had a second child.
Nicholas Yu 2 years ago
Come on...Where's the MAGA morons bragging about how great it is to walk around with guns instead of free healthcare? And that gas is high because of Biden?
Monica Pryts 2 years ago
The poster named Gemini is so naive. Does she know that you can't always predict expensive complications?
Suzanne Haigh 3 years ago
I doubt any country has £0 cost births for most. In the UK we pay a % weekly out of our wages to cover all health costs and our pensions, well those that work do
Ann Abdelzaher 3 years ago
I guess I was lucky. We did IVF and from start to bringing our son home we only paid $2500 out of pocket. WE had damn good insurance.
Pansexual-Pancake 3 years ago
my sister costed a lot and since we didn't pay it they came to take my sis and my mom said she was already taken by someone and now my sis doesn't have and identity
Mary Della Valle 3 years ago
If the profit factor was removed from healthcare in America, things would change drastically. I'm not even a socialist.
Anggi Santika 3 years ago
Gave birth in Indonesia 9 years ago, c-section, Bill was 800 USD. Not including prenatal care. Insurance covered it. Gave birth in China, private hospital with superb vip care, took a package of 9 months prenatal care + c-section delivery, bill was 7,500 USD for the whole pregnancy and delivery. Luckily had insurance that covered them all. I'm surprised that it cost that much more in the US..
Mary Tonningsen 3 years ago
I recall seeing the bill from the hospital when my brother was born in 1956 - it was $145 and my parents had to pay it off a little at a time. I think my dad made something like $250 (US dollars) a month then as a teacher and my brother made us a family of 5! I had great medical coverage when my son was born in 1977. My co-pay was $1 and I was in the hospital for 2 days. I don't recall what the monthly insurance premium was then - it came out of my ex's check, so I never saw it. But something like $100 a month if I recall. And he made about $2500 a month working full time in a liquor store, which was more than my step-mom made as a teacher! Crazy. SMH...
Kristen Medina 3 years ago
All of my debt is medical and I’ll never be able to pay it off; knee surgery, d&c (miscarried the baby), 3 c-sections (all complicated pregnancies/deliveries), not to mention pediatric medical care and emergencies. I can’t even file bankruptcy to get rid of them. Eff the American health system.
Ann McNeil 3 years ago
I'm in Ontario, Canada. We all have OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan)- 6 day hospital stay- $0. Giving birth- $0. Meds- $0. Room and meals- $0. Doctor and nurse fees- $0. Nursery fees for son- $0. THANK YOU, CANADA!!
Velonah Kamau 3 years ago
Oh my, I pray you all finish off these crazy bills with minimum hassle. I'm a Kenyan, having your baby at a government hospital is free of charge, and at a privately owned major hospital it costs about $625 for a normal delivery, and $2100 for a CS. I truly appreciate how far our maternal healthcare has come from
Eshaa Venkatesh 3 years ago
Indian here: Had a preemie baby, via emergency C-section, fancy epidural, 7 days in a brand new private hospital, private room with beds for two attendants, amazing food, experienced staff, great care, husband paid 62,000 Indian rupees = $840!
Jennette Rajesh 3 years ago
if i'm ever having a child, my husband better hit the gas so we can make it to canada in time.
Jean Petit 4 years ago
Not a cent here in Canada. But our Americans neighbours proclaim that we are :"Socialists." Hence for them non serious.
Bonita 4 years ago
I think the American government try to dissuade people from having kids and to keep the population stable they will populate with immigrants.
Mary Della Valle 3 years ago
You don't live in a country with a population of 330 Million people, do you.
Load More Replies... joi 4 years ago
let's see ~~ I had an incompetent cervix after a LEEP for cervical cancer so Dylan was born at 27 weeks, septic from the pneumonia I picked from a phlebot. He spent ten weeks in the NICU. Partner transcribed for an orthopedic group and had insurance. Th total bill was half a million.
joi 4 years ago
The mom in the original TikTok had a bit of a complicated delivery: she had preeclampsia and needed an emergency C-section. Luckily, she received great care and was only there for three days. However, given her circumstances, she thinks she shouldn’t have paid for it. “I think it’s awful that we were even met with a bill,” the mom told Bored Panda. “I was covered by very good insurance yet I still owed about $2,800 on a bill of just over $28,000.” Poor precious snowflake! $3000 for a kid
Lululoohoo 4 years ago
I'm in the US. I have health insurance through my employer. With my 1st, the bill was $250 copay. The 2nd was $0 copay. I consider myself truly fortunate.
Gavin Johnson 4 years ago
Daughter born just a shave over ten years ago, zero complications, more-or-less on her due date, cost for student midwife, midwife, and all aftercare in an awesome NHS maternity ward (now closed by our lovely government) was precisely zero pounds at the point of care. Yes we pay tax, yes it’s maybe higher than the US but c’mon! Those figures for young families are ridiculous. No one should be worrying about healthcare or its affordability when they are giving birth.
Whizzle Pop 4 years ago
When my daughter was born in 2014 (in the UK), I bought a ticket for the hospita car park, a couple of takeaway coffees for me, and a thank you card for the NHS staff. Total cost about $50. I *actually complained* about the high cost of the car park ticket....
Jenný Samúelsdóttir Herlufsen 4 years ago
Iceland; my son is 11 and my daughter is 6. I paid 50$ total (for the ambulance) when my daughter was born. Paid it 3days later when the bill came.
Curry on... 4 years ago
Every marketing message says, "health and safety," hence why medical and military costs a fortune.
Angie Buyong 4 years ago
my first child was born in a private hospital - paid:RM1,000 my second child was born in a public hospital - paid: RM0 I am still amaze at the American healthcare..
Róża Wróbel 4 years ago (edited)
Poland here, birth cost: $0, sometimes they make you pay for epidural or for family member to stay overnight. After birth care for parents: $300 from goverment + 1 year of paid (80% of previous salary) maternity leave.
Christina Kerr 4 years ago
What happens if you can’t afford to pay or don’t have enough insurance?
Matt Atfield 4 years ago
My wife had 3 emergency c sections across the years. Each time after these we stayed at the hospital for at least a week due to various issues. Each time we paid absolutely nothing. Other western countries can do it we can't the US?
Transat 4 years ago
Can someone tell me how much it typically costs to give birth in the US when everything goes fine ? Do people know teh amount when they go there or is it like a surprise at the end ? And what about the people that are really poor and will never be able to pay the bill, have they other options, maybe they give birth at home ... ?
Radek Suski 4 years ago
How is it possible that people for whom English is apparently the first language are writing payed instead of paid?
Liam Walsh 4 years ago
Dyslexia maybe? Varying educational standards? Let's not get hung up on the wrong problem here.
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Alex Bailey 4 years ago
They really don't. That is propaganda to make you think what you put up with is acceptable. The US officially has a Flawed Democracy, look it up. Your civil liberties are not as good as many, many countries. Why would people choose that?
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giovanna 4 years ago
Americans: this is not what a first world country looks like. We pay 0 euros for giving birth. 0. Italy.
Nadine 4 years ago
Same in Spain. Zero. I'm American but I've lived here most of my life and I just can't understand how people continue to believe that the US is the "best" country in the world when it's lacking so many basic things in favor of capitalism and individualism. In certain areas like healthcare, it can't even be considered a first world country!
Load More Replies... PauPain 4 years ago
Y'all need to fix your health care system! This is shocking. I live in Finland and I struggle to understand this. They are ripping you off because that price has nothing to do with the actual cost of the procedure or your stay at the hospital. They estimated that giving birth here costs the municipality from 1000 to 4500 euros depending on how it goes (C-section or not). I think we pay per day (which is standard a fee if you end up in the hospital). The maximum cost is at 683 euros. 1 euro is 1,21 dollars.
Ripley 4 years ago
People who would benefit actively vote against it because "socialism". It's beyond bonkers.
Load More Replies... martin734 4 years ago
In the hospital I work at new parents don't pay for parking.
Load More Replies... Todd Hunter 4 years ago
Americans scream and cry like babies when someone suggests they pay taxes towards Universal Health Care so this is what they get. Grow up and fix your country.
Les🐝an 4 years ago
It is not the fault of all Americans, most of us want a change but every time we try we are thwarted. Why aren’t you fixing our healthcare, if it’s so easy.
Load More Replies... Saico Hipe 4 years ago
Growing up in the USA, I've lived in constant terror of failing health. I'm not rich, so if I ever get a major illness I'm completely f*cked: no work, no money, no health care. But yeah, tell me again how this is the greatest f*cking country on earth. 🙄
Nikki 4 years ago
Given how insane 'healthcare' in America is, I'm a little surprised that Midwives aren't more common, a fraction of the cost I'm sure and you're in the comfort of your own home, the use of Midwives in countries like Australia and New Zealand is very common and if there is an emergency, there would be little to no costs involved due to their, actually does work, Universal Healthcare. Comments from people who say that you should prepare for costs because that's what having children means, clearly don't have children, there is a big difference between being able to afford to raise your child and being stuck with a hospital bill in the thousands/hundreds of thousands just for giving birth.
Rosie Hamilton 4 years ago
Same in the UK. We make good use of midwives and giving birth at home is a fairly popular option.
Load More Replies... Roxy Eastland 4 years ago
I live in the UK, so of course I can give birth for free, including antenatal and postnatal appointments. With my first we had a very small inheritance so I gave birth at home with an independent midwife. Along with antenatal and postnatal appointments it came to somewhere just over £2K. You guys are being ripped off!! My second was born at home with NHS midwives, so cost nothing except cups of tea.
Charlotte 4 years ago
Same! I’m in the UK and wanted a home birth. I had a “personality clash” with my NHS midwife and I didn’t want the risk of her turning up at my birth. So we took some money from our house deposit fund and hired a pair of independent midwives. I had monthly, then weekly home anti natal check-ups and could call them for support at any time. I had a totally natural home birth with people I knew and trusted who knew my birth plan and reasons for my choices (so I knew if things went wrong, I could trust they would make decisions in line with my beliefs). I got daily check ups for a week after birth, and weekly for more than 6 weeks. Breast feeding support, mental health support (they came with me to the hospital when I developed PPD!) - one midwife even took my laundry home to wash for me! 12 years later we are still in touch. It cost us £1800. AND the NHS would still have been there, free of charge, had I needed them. These women are being exploited.
Load More Replies... cybermerlin2000 4 years ago
America! The land where the beggar shares a street corner with a Doctor, a Lawyer and an Insurer all with their greedy hands out asking for more and telling the beggar he is disgusting
Lia Joseph 4 years ago
This is crazy! 3 babies (one preemie so I had to have a cesarean), and my hospital bill for all is zero, and my disability paid my $25 ambulance bill. Ya'll have to fix your health-care system cuz this is foolish
Sentinel 4 years ago
& thats why i pity bernie. Hes been screaming for years & even his own party mostly doesnt back him. & there we go, a vicious cycle.I dont get it
Load More Replies... Bunny Wood 4 years ago (edited)
My wife had our daughter in the new Christchurch Womans. Difficulties ensued. Emergency C section. Intensive care in the natal ward. Costs? Not even parking as the hospital gave me a pass. If a modest town in New Zealand can do this and then give my wife 6 months paid leave, surely the USA can. Should mention these are big rooms on our own looking over a park.
JuJu 4 years ago
Nothing. Just 10€ per day when I got a "mothers' room" in the hospitag because my son had to stay at the neo for a few days. And we got gifts.
ilikeplants 4 years ago
My first baby cost $7000. I had no medications, no procedures, nothing. The doctor was there for a total of 15 minutes. Basically, I paid $7000 to sleep in their bed overnight. So, we chose to have our other babies at home. My sister's c-section cost $30,000.
Mike Crow 4 years ago
My youngest had to be rushed to the NICU due to him having dangerously low blood sugar levels. Toothless cost $0. Why? Because I live in Canada. Wake up USA!!!
Damilola Marshmallow 4 years ago
I'm beginning to wonder what the American government really do for its citizens
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
I'm sorry for the more than idiotic healthcare system in the USA. On the other side, Americans aren't doing anything to change the system. Biden even was told to drop this issue during his campaign or he wouldn't have any chance of winning the election. So as far as I'm concerned Americans can keep complaining about their healthcare and tell other people that they live in socialist shyteholes with their affordable healthcare BECAUSE YOU PAY 85% TAXES!!! (Shots in the air). In the end Americans are going to have to solve that problem by voting for the people that would commit to solve it, not for those who seek ways to make it even less accessible and affordable.
A 4 years ago
I spent 8 weeks in a private room in a maternity ward in the UK due to pregnancy complications Two whole months. I had fantastic care by midwives, nurses, ultrasound technicians, and obgyns. With at least 10 staff including 2 pediatricians in the delivery room, I gave birth to healthy twins, one of whom needed a short stay in the Special Care Baby Unit. Cost to our family: £0. Not one penny for a 2 month hospital stay. The only expense we had was parking when my husband came to visit. I will never understand why Americans allow insurance companies to manipulate them into believing socialized health care is a bad thing.
Luther von Wolfen 4 years ago
My mom was born in 1947, hospital bill was $27. Then the medical industry realized they could charge whatever they wanted.
Saara-Elina Kaukiainen 4 years ago
3 weeks in the hospital, emergency C-section, baby was 4 days in NICU and 6 days at the hospital after that. 650€ all together. Paid in full 2 weeks after released from the hospital. Finland.
LenkaS 4 years ago
Czech republic here - zero payments for the medical care (we all have insuranc eand everybody can afford it), it means no payments for giving birth. And, if the mom has low income, she can apply for a maternity grant that covers all necessary purchases at the beginning so the baby has all it needs
Panda Kicki 4 years ago
I get paid for it. Sweden has free maternity care and you get 125-200 euros a month when baby is born. Plus a nice gift bag and 480 days paid parental leave.
Ludwig Michiel 4 years ago (edited)
Belgian here. The hospital bill (birth with epidural, 3 nights in a spacious single room) for the birth of each of our sons was about 1 500 euro (after government funded insurance). After my wife's private insurance (which costs some 165 euro per year) there was 300 euro left. It should be noted that the government of Flanders (northern Belgium) gives a birth premium of 1 100 euro per child, so both the births were actually "financially positive" for about 800 euro. Several visits at home by a midwife before and after birth were also covered. Checkups with ultrasound at the gynaecologist were about 30 euro each. Belgium's government has many flaws, but I'm glad with the social security system.
Stephanie Anne 4 years ago
Yikes! I paid $30 because I wanted a tv in my private room. I'm Canadian
Baby Panda 4 years ago
things i learned from this: 1. kids are expensive 2. go to the UK or germany to have a kid and 3. you have to be rich if ya can't do number two
Carrie de Luka 4 years ago
Yep - though you would have to be careful. Most countries are now very well aware of what is termed 'medical tourism' and sooner or later that's going to get stopped for the majority.
Load More Replies... Don't Look 4 years ago
What this really does is grow disgust in the American medical system. Sometimes there are great people working for it and then magically it costs money. Serious money. The sad thing is Biden really cannot fix that.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
Do they have to give the kid back when they can't pay? this is ridiculous.
Candy Rae 4 years ago
No they cant force you to pay medical bills but they can refuse to see you again and it can ruin your credit. More people should refuse tp pay.
Load More Replies... Eric Mac Fadden 4 years ago
Even paying tax over tax over tax in Brazil we are born "free". Later gets expensive, but its just a detail....
The Cute Cat 4 years ago
That is USA's problem.. In Indonesia, a C-section in hospitals takes around 2K USD.. Normal birth is around 70 USD.. All is free if you use insurance especially govt-owned BPJS..
CincyReds 3 years ago
Damns I feel really lucky, had my son in 1993, I still have the bill in his baby book, I can't remember the amount, but all i had to pay was a $25.00 co-pay, because I was admitted in the hospital...Daughter born in 1998 , saved her bill too, I paid nothing... Insurance have totally changed since then. The bill for the doctor was a little over $2000.00 for 3 minutes, the nurses did everything, and brought him in at the last monute for one push/
Donna Rakowiecki 3 years ago
He men said women should think about the cost before having kids! Bet he's against free brith control too . Lets not forget opposing the right to choose. So poor people just don't have children. Tell her husband he ain't getting any tonight and see how that goes over. No sex is the punishment to the poor. Mean while try huge chucks of cash in and protest against higher wages. The rich total control everything so go bitch to them about it. And never forget If men got pregnant abortion would government paid benefit and birth control would be dispensed through Coin machines. At every corner even through birth it self would be free if men got pregnant. ... if corona made their d**k fall off this pandemic would have been over three d***s in. Bet we would see masks then! Huh big boy. Isn't there a war you want start so you can try out that shiny new gun?
Caroline Driver 3 years ago
Hey, America, greatest country in the world, where you can go bankrupt having a baby, or getting cancer. Then there are stupid questions on Quora about 'why do Brits think the NHS is so great?'
Socat 4 years ago
I'm shocked when I read things like "you should figure it out before having a baby, that's responsability." wow.. So if you're not wealthy (and seeing this we could even say if you're not part of the richest people in the country) you should not have a kid, and go f**k yourself with the most basic right in the world : to have a family ? And they continue to brag about the American Dream...
NWB 4 years ago
Yup I insurance paid for the whole thing, even if I didn't have insurance it would have been free in Australia, I had a specific obgyn which I why I went private. Another benefit....70k worth of care for Post Natal Depression I did not pay for....saved my life. America is not the land of the free, or freedom of speech or free anything, their reign of god like status is over!
Whizzle Pop 4 years ago
Americans, you do realise this isn't normal, right? Paying actual money to have a baby delivered safely would be some sort of barely credible dystopian nightmare in any part of the civilised world.
Cupcake Cloud 4 years ago
I still find it crazy that lockdowns made people protest in the street over lack of haircuts and what not. By that scale, the entire population should be flooding the streets with pitchforks by now, over how bad the healthcare system is in America. It's a money making machine, using the common people as a means of profit over things that should be basic human rights. It's absolutely despicable.
Clearly sunny 4 years ago
Lucky to be an Aussie, had emergency c- section and in hospital for 5 days.$0.
Jack Burton 4 years ago
In France you pay only if you want to choose a specific private clinic...
Chez 4 years ago
In South Africa it depends if you go the private route or government route. If you have medical aid and you go private, then generally you don't pay for the hospital stay but you may have to pay extra for doctors etc, or whatever additional things the medical aid doesn't pay for. If you have no medical aid and you go private, then you can pay anything from R30 000 up, depending on which hospital and what is required for the birth. If you go government, then you don't pay anything (someone correct me if I'm wrong, I have only ever done private + medical aid for my 3 kids). For my twins, I had gap cover on top of my medical aid, which then covered everything that the medical aid didn't cover. I think I only paid in about R6 000 to my gynae for the birth plus all the appointments.
Foxxy (The Original) 4 years ago
Paid nothing. My aunty had a son 3 months premmie and was in hospital for almost 4 months in an incubator with round the clock care and she too paid nothing.
Alexandra Prytkova 1 year ago
Living in Russia. The government payed for the birth of my son and the 7 days in the hospital after it. Got a maternity help from the government for his birth, had I been working when I had him, would have had a payed maternity leave for 3 years. And that's for the first. Would have gotten 1.5 million roubles from the government, should I had a second child.
Nicholas Yu 2 years ago
Come on...Where's the MAGA morons bragging about how great it is to walk around with guns instead of free healthcare? And that gas is high because of Biden?
Monica Pryts 2 years ago
The poster named Gemini is so naive. Does she know that you can't always predict expensive complications?
Suzanne Haigh 3 years ago
I doubt any country has £0 cost births for most. In the UK we pay a % weekly out of our wages to cover all health costs and our pensions, well those that work do
Ann Abdelzaher 3 years ago
I guess I was lucky. We did IVF and from start to bringing our son home we only paid $2500 out of pocket. WE had damn good insurance.
Pansexual-Pancake 3 years ago
my sister costed a lot and since we didn't pay it they came to take my sis and my mom said she was already taken by someone and now my sis doesn't have and identity
Mary Della Valle 3 years ago
If the profit factor was removed from healthcare in America, things would change drastically. I'm not even a socialist.
Anggi Santika 3 years ago
Gave birth in Indonesia 9 years ago, c-section, Bill was 800 USD. Not including prenatal care. Insurance covered it. Gave birth in China, private hospital with superb vip care, took a package of 9 months prenatal care + c-section delivery, bill was 7,500 USD for the whole pregnancy and delivery. Luckily had insurance that covered them all. I'm surprised that it cost that much more in the US..
Mary Tonningsen 3 years ago
I recall seeing the bill from the hospital when my brother was born in 1956 - it was $145 and my parents had to pay it off a little at a time. I think my dad made something like $250 (US dollars) a month then as a teacher and my brother made us a family of 5! I had great medical coverage when my son was born in 1977. My co-pay was $1 and I was in the hospital for 2 days. I don't recall what the monthly insurance premium was then - it came out of my ex's check, so I never saw it. But something like $100 a month if I recall. And he made about $2500 a month working full time in a liquor store, which was more than my step-mom made as a teacher! Crazy. SMH...
Kristen Medina 3 years ago
All of my debt is medical and I’ll never be able to pay it off; knee surgery, d&c (miscarried the baby), 3 c-sections (all complicated pregnancies/deliveries), not to mention pediatric medical care and emergencies. I can’t even file bankruptcy to get rid of them. Eff the American health system.
Ann McNeil 3 years ago
I'm in Ontario, Canada. We all have OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan)- 6 day hospital stay- $0. Giving birth- $0. Meds- $0. Room and meals- $0. Doctor and nurse fees- $0. Nursery fees for son- $0. THANK YOU, CANADA!!
Velonah Kamau 3 years ago
Oh my, I pray you all finish off these crazy bills with minimum hassle. I'm a Kenyan, having your baby at a government hospital is free of charge, and at a privately owned major hospital it costs about $625 for a normal delivery, and $2100 for a CS. I truly appreciate how far our maternal healthcare has come from
Eshaa Venkatesh 3 years ago
Indian here: Had a preemie baby, via emergency C-section, fancy epidural, 7 days in a brand new private hospital, private room with beds for two attendants, amazing food, experienced staff, great care, husband paid 62,000 Indian rupees = $840!
Jennette Rajesh 3 years ago
if i'm ever having a child, my husband better hit the gas so we can make it to canada in time.
Jean Petit 4 years ago
Not a cent here in Canada. But our Americans neighbours proclaim that we are :"Socialists." Hence for them non serious.
Bonita 4 years ago
I think the American government try to dissuade people from having kids and to keep the population stable they will populate with immigrants.
Mary Della Valle 3 years ago
You don't live in a country with a population of 330 Million people, do you.
Load More Replies... joi 4 years ago
let's see ~~ I had an incompetent cervix after a LEEP for cervical cancer so Dylan was born at 27 weeks, septic from the pneumonia I picked from a phlebot. He spent ten weeks in the NICU. Partner transcribed for an orthopedic group and had insurance. Th total bill was half a million.
joi 4 years ago
The mom in the original TikTok had a bit of a complicated delivery: she had preeclampsia and needed an emergency C-section. Luckily, she received great care and was only there for three days. However, given her circumstances, she thinks she shouldn’t have paid for it. “I think it’s awful that we were even met with a bill,” the mom told Bored Panda. “I was covered by very good insurance yet I still owed about $2,800 on a bill of just over $28,000.” Poor precious snowflake! $3000 for a kid
Lululoohoo 4 years ago
I'm in the US. I have health insurance through my employer. With my 1st, the bill was $250 copay. The 2nd was $0 copay. I consider myself truly fortunate.
Gavin Johnson 4 years ago
Daughter born just a shave over ten years ago, zero complications, more-or-less on her due date, cost for student midwife, midwife, and all aftercare in an awesome NHS maternity ward (now closed by our lovely government) was precisely zero pounds at the point of care. Yes we pay tax, yes it’s maybe higher than the US but c’mon! Those figures for young families are ridiculous. No one should be worrying about healthcare or its affordability when they are giving birth.
Whizzle Pop 4 years ago
When my daughter was born in 2014 (in the UK), I bought a ticket for the hospita car park, a couple of takeaway coffees for me, and a thank you card for the NHS staff. Total cost about $50. I *actually complained* about the high cost of the car park ticket....
Jenný Samúelsdóttir Herlufsen 4 years ago
Iceland; my son is 11 and my daughter is 6. I paid 50$ total (for the ambulance) when my daughter was born. Paid it 3days later when the bill came.
Curry on... 4 years ago
Every marketing message says, "health and safety," hence why medical and military costs a fortune.
Angie Buyong 4 years ago
my first child was born in a private hospital - paid:RM1,000 my second child was born in a public hospital - paid: RM0 I am still amaze at the American healthcare..
Róża Wróbel 4 years ago (edited)
Poland here, birth cost: $0, sometimes they make you pay for epidural or for family member to stay overnight. After birth care for parents: $300 from goverment + 1 year of paid (80% of previous salary) maternity leave.
Christina Kerr 4 years ago
What happens if you can’t afford to pay or don’t have enough insurance?
Matt Atfield 4 years ago
My wife had 3 emergency c sections across the years. Each time after these we stayed at the hospital for at least a week due to various issues. Each time we paid absolutely nothing. Other western countries can do it we can't the US?
Transat 4 years ago
Can someone tell me how much it typically costs to give birth in the US when everything goes fine ? Do people know teh amount when they go there or is it like a surprise at the end ? And what about the people that are really poor and will never be able to pay the bill, have they other options, maybe they give birth at home ... ?
Radek Suski 4 years ago
How is it possible that people for whom English is apparently the first language are writing payed instead of paid?
Liam Walsh 4 years ago
Dyslexia maybe? Varying educational standards? Let's not get hung up on the wrong problem here.
Load More Replies... Alex Bailey 4 years ago
They really don't. That is propaganda to make you think what you put up with is acceptable. The US officially has a Flawed Democracy, look it up. Your civil liberties are not as good as many, many countries. Why would people choose that?
Load More Replies...
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