“Sisterly Rivalry Takes a Twist: From Mockery to Desperation as Hospital Bills Pile Up”
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.
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.
