Is having a child in America an affordable option? You might think childbirth only gets costly in the event of an emergency, but experts like San Diego birth injury lawyers Sigelman Associates note that the cost of delivering a baby can be unexpectedly high even under the best of circumstances. How much, exactly? That’s exactly what we’ll be taking a look at today, as we investigate the true cost of birthing a child and why it may cost more than you previously thought.
Birth By The Numbers
There are several figures out there for the cost of childbirth, but it’s likely that all of them exceed what you were expecting. Check out reports from Business Insider, for instance, and you’ll see that the average cost for delivering a child is about $10,808 — and can get as high as $30,000 if the costs of additional pre and post-preganancy care are included.
The Guardian, meanwhile, cites a study from Childbirth Connection, which places the price of childbirth at “$32,093 for an uncomplicated vaginal birth and newborn care, and $51,125 for a standard caesarean section and newborn care.” They even draw attention to one couple who, despite having insurance, were charged $877,000 by the hospital where they gave birth to triplets.
We could go on, but the point is that the cost of childbirth is exorbitantly expensive in the United States. In other developed nations, such as Spain, it costs about $1,950 to deliver a child. In Finland, according to sources like The Atlantic, you’ll be out a mere $60 for delivering a child. If it’s possible for delivery to be so inexpensive, why does it cost so much in The States?
The Reason For High Costs
To make a long story short, the high costs are a result of insurance meddling and high deductibles. With healthcare being so focused on profit, new parents are usually stuck with substantial bills following the birth of a child that can severely impact their finances.
Most people who are planning on having a child don’t have the thousands of dollars laying around to offset the costs of birth. Individuals having unplanned children (which is a significant number) are even less likely to have the necessary funds, so giving birth to a child can present a financial setback that can disadvantage them for years (or even decades).
These high costs can put additional stress on a family, and at least one divorce attorney in Oklahoma City, Strange Law, has seen their share of cases where the pressures of childbirth led a couple to split. This will be a definite challenge for Americans to face in the 21st Century, and it’s not until healthcare troubles (and, by extension, the high cost of birth) are solved that many families will be able to make the type of progress that they deserve.
