Average US Woman’s Salary Not Enough To Cover Cost Of Giving Birth

Giving birth in the US has certainly become very costly. A new report showed that the cost of giving birth is way higher than the salary that a woman in the US earns in one month. The figures clearly showed how much a woman must have in order to cover the cost of giving birth.

A new study has revealed that the cost of giving birth could make a lot of mothers’ jaws drop. Simply put, it is so costly, and it doesn’t even take into account the status of the insurance that the mother possesses.

According to the study, as reported in NYPost, pregnant women who enjoy employer-provided health insurance would spend an average of $4,500 from their own pockets in 2015. This is the most recent data that looked into the cost of giving birth in the US.

Compared to data derived in 2007, there was indeed a huge increase. A 50% addition was made to the cost way back in 2007, which was only at around $3,000. It isn’t only the mothers who feel the increase, but even physicians expressed concerns over the staggering cost.

Dr. Michelle Moniz, a professor and physician at the University of Michigan, revealed that she doesn’t know many patients who have the kind of funding simply lying around. Accordingly, the doctor said that the expenses would come at a time when a mom or a parent would be thinking about all other things in their baby list. They would be spending on a car seat, crib, etc. and they would not be expecting such a huge bill.

The study was published in Health Affairs in the second week of January, and it included over 650,000 birth records. These women have good coverage out of their health insurance plans sponsored by their employers. These plans give them more coverage than those that are purchased independently through HeathCare.gov or through small businesses.

According to the report, it was not the hospital care cost, which shot up the bill. It was rather the deductibles that increased considerably. From $1,500, it became $2,500, and coinsurance cost was at $300. These increases created a huge difference in terms of the total bill that moms pay after giving birth.