Babies 'R' Expensive: U.S Tops the Charts In Childbirth Costs

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http://www.alternet.org/economy/babies-are-expensive



Having a baby has always been costly. No matter how penny-pinching you try to be, the bills for diapers and toys add up, especially if you’re in the United States. According to a new report from the International Federation of Health Plans, the cost of childbirth in the United States is more expensive than anywhere else in the world. IFHP, a group monitoring healthcare financing in 28 countries, reports that the cost of a cesarean birth in the United States averages about $15,240, slightly up from $15,041 in 2013. A delivery costs $10,002, up from $9,775 in 2013.

Compare these numbers to countries like Switzerland where the average for a C-section is 40 percent lower at $10,681. And although Switzerland is about $5,000 lower than the United States, it pales in comparison to Spain and Argentina where C-sections average around $3,000, and a normal delivery averages a little over $2,000.

IFHP reported on birth costs as well as other healthcare costs around the world and in almost every instance, the United States stood out above the rest. WalletHub, a cost comparison site, took IFHP’s findings a step further. It analyzedthe best and worst states in the U.S. to have a baby comparing states across 22 metrics, including the cost of having a cesarean or a conventional delivery, infant care costs and the highest number of child centers per capita.

After tallying the numbers, it concluded that Alabama was one of the the worst states to have a baby. Vermont topped the list with a “health care for new moms and baby rank” of 1 and an overall budget friendliness of 21. Other baby-friendly states include Maine, Oregon and Connecticut and New Hampshire, all of which fare well in budget and healthcare for new moms