Source: New York Times
Contributors: Shivani Patel & Henry Roden
Article Review
This article addressed the soaring costs of giving birth in the US. The article followed several expectant couples battling America's broken healthcare system. Many healthcare policies and providers do not include maternity care in their coverage plans, leaving millions of Americans with enormous hospital bills after the birth of a child. Renee Martin, an expectant mother from the article, discussed that she was more concerned whether an epidural anesthesia was a more cost-effective option to a birthing tub instead of which option would fit her needs.
A conventional delivery in the United States can cost upwards of $9,000 while Cesarean deliveries can cost up to $15,000, sometimes more. A conventional birth in the US is almost double the cost in Switzerland for a conventional birth, and almost triple the cost compared to a conventional birth in France. Like the "Chargemaster" discussed last class, each test performed or treatment related to "maternity care" can be associated with a cost or charge.
For instance, simple blood typing required for each delivery costs hundreds of dollars, while a splash of gentian violet, a disinfectant on the umbilical cord costs $20 (Walgreens price per bottle is ~$3). This case from the New York Times demonstrates, highlights, and illustrates the skyrocketing cost of maternity health care, pushing couples to ask the question "How much is that going to cost?".
Reflection & Analysis
This article highlighted our flawed healthcare system and demonstrated that even if you try to beat the system like Dr. Duane, who had some of the best insurance money can buy, she still had an uphill battle with her insurance company.
In a follow-up article, Dr. Duane highlights her frustrations with her medical insurance when she became pregnant with her second son, Ellis. I found that this article highlighted one of the fundamental issues with our healthcare system which is the "Chargemaster." This type of list gives hospitals a new revenue stream with every supply or treatment, costing more and more each year.
I really like the graphic you included, it's mind blowing that as one of the richest countries in the world there are 49 countries with a lower maternal mortality ratio than us.
ReplyDeleteMy dad is an OBGYN and is constantly talking about how ridiculously priced a Cesarean delivery is. I'm curious to know how much of the revenue goes to the hospital and how much goes to the drug and equipment companies.
ReplyDeleteAdding on to Shivani here: I think a really important analogy in this article was when Renee Martin compared her experience to that of a used car lot. All of these medical items are so ambiguously priced and once contested, could end up anywhere around the range you were originally charged. This shows that although they have fixed pricing for some items, there is so much inflation in the prices that they can almost be haggled. This proves that although some of the procedures may actually be expensive, there is a lot of noise in some of the prices.
ReplyDeleteGreat write-up. Like @Hannah, I'm curious where the revenue goes for such high prices. I'll try to investigate this further. Maybe we can email E. Rosenthal or Steven Brill, as I'm sure they likely know. There must be data on that by investigative journalists. My guess is that hospitals won't tell you if you ask.
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