A proper, fair, easily accessible healthcare system is a lifesaver. Depending on where you live, medical care can be free, paid via taxes, incredibly cheap, or mind-bogglingly expensive. In some parts of the world, moms who give birth have the added stress of huge bills. Elsewhere, the only worry they have is whether the baby will be happy and healthy.

Redditor u/drthwau, who moved to France from the United States, asked the AITA community for their verdict on a sensitive family situation. The author shared how her sister, who stayed in the US, demanded that she help her with her extremely large hospital bills. You see, the sister thought it was “unfair” that she’d paid nothing (except via mandatory health insurance) to give birth in France herself. Read on for the full story and people’s comments. Bored Panda reached out to the author for further comment.

Childbirth is a beautiful thing. However, it can be extremely expensive in some countries compared to others. This makes some people very salty

Image credits: Helena Lopes/Pexels (not the actual photo)

A woman living in France shared how her American sister demanded her to pay part of her hospital bills after giving birth

Image credits: K2 Production/Pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Liza Summer/Pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: drthwau

Around a quarter of all healthcare spending in the United States ends up being wasted

In France, paying for health insurance is mandatory for all citizens, whether or not they’re actually employed. In other words, your taxes pay for your healthcare, which means you don’t have to pay mind-melting prices out-of-pocket later on.

It’s fairly cliche to point out that the United States has one of the most inefficient and expensive healthcare systems among the developed nations of the world, but it’s true. Sure, the country has lots of pros… but its healthcare is sorely lacking.

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation notes that the US has one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the entire world. In 2021 alone, US healthcare spending amounted to $4.3 trillion, or around $12,900 per American.

“By comparison, the average cost of healthcare per person in other wealthy countries is less than one-half of that. What’s more, 34 percent of the nation’s healthcare spending is funded by the federal government—placing a strain on the federal budget and contributing to the nation’s growing national debt,” the Foundation explains.

One major reason why healthcare costs are so huge in the US comes down to one simple word: waste. Around a quarter of all healthcare spending in the country is considered wasteful.

One 2019 study found that wasteful spending in the healthcare system ranged between $760 billion to $935 billion per year. The main sources of waste include administrative waste, inefficient spending on clinical care, and operational waste. To put it bluntly, for every dollar Americans spend on health-related things, a quarter of that is squandered.

How much you pay for having a baby in the US depends on a lot of different factors, including your insurance

Investopedia reports that based on the data collected by the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker, the average cost of having a baby in the US comes to around $18,865.

This sum includes a wide range of different costs, including pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. Even if you have health insurance, you can expect to pay nearly $3,000 for everything out of your own pocket.

Of course, everyone’s situation can be different. Unfortunately, if there are any complications or pre-existing health conditions, you can expect to pay more. Furthermore, how large your bill will be also depends on how you give birth.

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For example, in 2020, it cost around $11,453 to pay for vaginal delivery. However, the average cost of a cesarean section (aka a c-section) was $17,103. However, these sums don’t include pregnancy or postpartum care costs.

Meanwhile, Forbes points out that in 2022, the average cost of childbirth in the US was $18,865 (or $2,854 out-of-pocket for health insurance plan members, on average). The cost of vaginal delivery was $14,768 ($2,655 out-of-pocket) while c-sections cost $26,280 ($3,214 out-of-pocket).

Raising kids is very expensive as a whole, but most parents would probably tell you it’s worth the trouble

If you decide to hire a doula (someone who gives guidance and support during labor), lactation specialists, and therapists who specialize in postpartum depression, you might have to shell out even more money.

These services may not be covered by most health insurance providers. So, it’s very important that you get to grips with the finer details of your insurance, so you know what you’re getting.

Naturally, the spending doesn’t stop there. Next, you have to raise your child, keep a roof over their heads, put food on the table, pay for the bills, buy them toys, take care of their education, get them clothes, etc.

Investopedia notes that you can expect to spend $310,605 to raise your child until they turn 18 years old. That comes out to around $17,000 per year.

What would you have done if you were in the author’s position? What’s the cost of childbirth in your country, dear Pandas? Let us know in the comments section.

Most readers thought that the author was right to stand her ground. Here’s their perspective

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