The cost of having the baby (Hospital stay, epidural, etc)

christinemurray91

I actually forgot that those in the states (and other countries, I'm sure), have to pay for their hospital stay. 

Out of curiousity, is that the main factor in the "we can't afford a baby" worries? For us, it was diapers and baby swag (lol!), I hadn't even considered what it would be like to have hospital bills too. 

I've heard it's thousands of dollars (I've heard a range of $8000-$25000, but that seems far fetched...) and I really can't fathom it! Do they make payment plans?

Just a curious Canadian

Mztwilson

I'm assuming that's before insurance. The total hospital bill with my last one before insurance was 11 grand. Insurance paid most of it except 2-3 and if it's over 500 most hospitals do payment plans

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christinemurray91

Insurance! That makes a lot more sense. I'm assuming its a lot more common for people to buy into an insurance plan there. 

I was sitting here after reading an article thinking "How do they manage it?!"

christinemurray91

@meladoriestar - I am so sorry to hear that. That's just awful

If I could hug you, I would.

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christinemurray91

OMG! $80,000?!

Whaaaaat?!

megandee2014

How does it work in Canada? No insurance needed?

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christinemurray91

@megandee2014 its all covered, except things like 3D Ultrasounds, which hospitals don't do and prenatals and medications and such.

Since we have Universal Healthcare, we pay more in taxes, but we're covered for doctors, emergencies, hospital stays, ultrasounds, medications administered in a hospital, etc.

christinemurray91

Damn. Wrong quote. Don't know how to fix.

But STILL! 

*picks jaw up off the floor*

megandee2014

@christinemurray91 that sounds lovely

nunzchucks

My low risk vaginal delivery was $20k! Thank goodness for insurance, but we do have a high deductible so we had to pay $8K for the entire pregnancy.

christinemurray91

@megandee2014 after this, I definitely appreciate it more, lol. 

I just looked it up, and the US is one of the most developed countries that doesn't offer Universal Healthcare. Weird. 

Here's the map I found, I was only expecting it to be Canada and the UK: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/06/heres-a-map-of-the-countries-that-provide-universal-health-care-americas-still-not-on-it/259153/

christinemurray91

@LilNunz1 Oh wow! So, was that a big concern when you found out you were pregnant, or did you save up before TTC? (not to get overly personal, sorry)

TXSparky

We paid about $7000 for my first out of pocket. We saved up before we started trying to have a baby.

AllyTales

I never let the cost get in the way of getting pregnant, although I can understand how some may. I have pretty good insurance, though. All plans are different. Some have high deductibles and pay more out of pocket from the start- some have low deductibles and then pay a percentage, etc. 

Also, many hospitals will work with you!!  I have a friend who pays just $25 a month towards her hospital bills. No interest or anything. She'll be paying for ages, but it's such a small amount that it hasn't really impacted her.

hadley135

We will have to pay our $400 deductible then we have 100% coverage. Like others have said, depends on insurance.

christinemurray91

@Allytales Well that's good to hear! $25 a month, even for the rest of your life is still easier to swallow than thousands up front.

AllyTales

christinemurray91 said:

@Allytales Well that's good to hear! $25 a month, even for the rest of your life is still easier to swallow than thousands up front.

Just like insurance being different, so are hospitals though.  Some may require $50 a month for payment, some may require the bill to be over $500 to do plans, some $250.. it really varies. We actually put money aside before TTC for the cost of pregnancy and delivery. I know not everyone has that luxury, though, and that's probably unnerving! 

Krisands

megandee2014 said:

@christinemurray91 that sounds lovely

I am Canadian and it is pretty nice. I always feel for you ladies in the states with huge hospital bills post delivery. 

There are strong negatives and positives to our healthcare system in Canada. ;The downfalls to it of course are system abuse, which as a RN I see quite often. Surgical and procedural wait lists are quite long but I think that is the case most places. The positives are without a doubt you will receive medical care and not worry about a large bill at the end of it. 

 There is also the option to go private if necessary for example if you are wait listed for a colonoscopy and you really want it done sooner you can pay out of pocket to a private center to have this done.

Many employers also offer extended health benefits that you can pay into to provide things like prescription medications and specialty equipment. 

Correct me if I am wrong but is this not what Obama is trying to accomplish in the states?

ETA: Never mind I see obamacare is a different system through some more google searching.

christinemurray91

@Krisands if you mean obamacare, then not really. To my understanding, its just a measure to make insurance more accessible to people who don't have it, but it's hard to find the facts online without a huge slant.

I've lived in the states and, though I didn't have any major medical work, I did get bloodwork, see different types of drs and I didn't see any difference in the quality of care as to here (I love my doctors here), and I've found that's the biggest argument against UH in the states.

It's definitely not something I expect to see come about in the states for a long time, but I think Obama is trying to move things in that direction... just verrrry slowly, lol,

nunzchucks

@christinemurray91 We have been contributing to an interest bearing health savings account for several years. DH's work contributes $1K/year as well and our contributions are tax free. We had the money saved so it was not a hardship. We've built the account back up so we'll be OK for this LO, too. I don't think we could have done it without our financial planner!

babyxmas

I think both of my csections were around $15, 000 each. I only paid $30 for my first prenatal visit and $30 for the hospital cable Tv bill. Guess insurance didn't want to pay for my entertainment.

christinemurray91

@LilNunz1 Wow! That's really impressive, actually. Seems really well though out. Hats off to you

Krisands

@christinemurray91 thanks I did some more looking into Obama care and stand corrected. I don't explain myself properly I meant financial equality in care for example people not seeking medical attention due to hospital bills. Ill edit above because I wasn't really clear.

nunzchucks

@christinemurray91 Thanks but, really it was our financial planner and a lot of diligent saving! Eventually, the hope is to build that account up enough so we don't need to contribute as much every year and get more $$ to take home. These babies keep draining it!

NoodleM

I'm Canadian, I pay for extended medical through my work. It's awesome, I don't pay very much each month, maybe 40 bucks for the three of us? My physio visits are only 9 dollars out of pocket.

It was really nice going through my whole pregnancy and not paying for a thing except for when I was in labour and they wrote me a prescription for t3's.

chickpea912

I don't know the specifics of my current insurance plan, but I don't think I'll have to pay more than a few hundred dollars for this baby, even if I have a RCS.

My big concern, financially, when having a baby is high child care costs.  Luckily we'll only have two kids in day care for one year, but that will be quite pricey indeed - way more than our mortgage.

missesBAD

I did not pay a dime for my c/s with my first. Office visits were a $10 copay. The insurance I received through work covered it all. This time I think we will pay about $150 (new job).

Bmcmullin01

I only had $20 co pay for ultrasounds and for labor and delivery it was $1000 for two days there. $500 per day. I live in Oregon

beasley1114

When my mother had me 22 years ago, she had me at 29 weeks. I was in the nicu for months and in and out for about 2 years after that. Going through my medical records, it easily added up to several hundred thousand dollars. It can get crazy expensive fast in situations like that. Praying I don't have the same problems carrying my babies as she did. I couldn't afford it! Lol

AllyTales

missesBAD said:

I did not pay a dime for my c/s with my first. Office visits were a $10 copay. The insurance I received through work covered it all. This time I think we will pay about $150 (new job).

It's crazy how insurance varies so much.

I won't actually pay a thing for OB/midwife visits.  I pay a ONE time copay of $15 for my first visit, and then every visit after is $0 copay or cost.  I will have to pay a percentage of the hospital stay, though.

MrsAMB07

We had wonderful insurance last time and paid $10 total for DS (2 copays of $5 each) and $20 for DD (2 copays of $10 each). Now that I'm not working and DH has his own company we pay for private insurance. This little bean will cost us $120 (2 copays of $60). 

Our copays have always covered all prenatal visits and hospital costs.

JenniCollins

We are responsible for $4,000 out of pocket a year. So at least that, plus probably $150-$250 for the visits I have to do before January 1st. It definitely takes a chunk out of savings. We need another car (one car family) and this pregnancy is taking a little out of the car budget.

Yasm33na

I live in Germany and we pay nothing for hospital visits, midwives, gynecologist visits, dentist, chiropractor ...Or anything.... It's all included in our insurance... We just pay for cosmetic or unnecisary sergeries etc... I'm originally Canadian so I know exactly what you mean... It's scary to imagine having to pay thousands just for having a baby...

briannalaura

For our first we paid about $7000 I believe. I stopped counting the bills as they came in. But on our plan each dependent has their own out of pocket maximum - so for my hospital stay/care and then my daughters. Our out of pocket is on the higher side. They allow payment plans - but for our first we just paid everything right away. For the 2nd, depending on how much everything will be this time around we may have to do a payment plan.

ncbelle

Ah yes...just another excellent example of how having a single-payer nationalized healthcare system is just better  Of course if you have been following current events here in the US, you'll see that our government is currently being held hostage by those who think even the steps Obamacare takes towards universal healthcare coverage is "un-American" - le sigh...

I've been very fortunate to have relatively good insurance while pregnant - and to have had uncomplicated, drug free deliveries.  I think we paid a few thousand out of pocket.  With my second, I had a mega bill as she was in the NICU for a few days - thankfully that was covered pretty much 100%.  I actually delayed TTC this baby because I had a year of being self-insured where buying a maternity rider was going to cost me an extra $200 a month - and that was with still having a really high deductible.  I'm now insured through my employer (a state health plan) and the coverage is pretty good.

JNerd

I'm very happy to be Canadian and not have to worry about being able to pay for the baby. Hubby is such a worrier about money that I don't know how we would go about having a family if the threat of big hospital bills loomed over us. 

We are saving, but that is more so we have a nest egg for when I go on Mat leave again. Mat leave for us is a year, so we really want to make sure that we are not going to be experiencing financial hardships and have to end mat leave early because we can't afford it. 

tbmadeamistake

I'm lucky and my work has awesome health insurance, so I don't pay anything out of pocket, other than premiums.  That said, I did get copies of all my bills. $35000 total for prental, delivery, and post partum care.  That included pitocin and an epidural.

RaeJ004

My first was about $20,000 before insurance.  Vaginal, epidural, low risk.  We had to pay $6,400 out of pocket.  And it all had to be paid within 14 months of delivery.  So we were paying about $460 a month.

The "not being able to afford a baby" thing for me is daycare.  It's the recurring monthly expense that scares me!