Average out-of-pocket childbirth costs in the US identified — The Hill

In the United States, patients’ average out-of-pocket costs for childbirth amount to $2,563 for vaginal delivery and $3,071 for a cesarean section. These figures were obtained by personal finance website MoneyGeek after analyzing insurance claims data for 2021–2023, The Hill reports.

The calculations include expenses for hospital stays, medications, and the services of various specialists, including obstetricians and anesthesiologists. The actual amount paid by a patient depends on the terms of their health insurance and the course of the delivery.

Costs in individual states

In Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, average out-of-pocket childbirth costs may exceed $2,500. According to MoneyGeek, patients with high-deductible insurance plans or those experiencing complicated deliveries may pay up to $5,000.

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At the same time, in Michigan, the average out-of-pocket cost for childbirth was $974. The analysis covered 45 states and Washington, D.C. Alabama, Hawaii, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming were not included due to insufficient data from healthcare providers.

The role of arrangements with insurers

MoneyGeek explains the differences between states primarily by agreements between hospitals and insurance companies on payment for services. The California Health Care Foundation notes that price differences between hospitals are only weakly related to the quality of medical care and may depend on the level of competition in the market.

The article also cites an example of a $45,000 childbirth bill. According to a woman in the video, insurance covered most of the amount, but she still had to pay $1,982.93.