Birth of an Average American Baby Costs More Than the Birth of Future King of England

A new report suggests that an average American has to pay almost double what it cost for the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton to give birth to the future king of England. The report reveals that while the Duchess gave birth at a private wing of one of the top hospitals in London and stayed in a suite that includes a birthing pool, satellite TV, radio, Internet access, daily newspapers, and a private catering staff, the total cost was not more than £10,000, or $15,300, though it did not take into account pre-delivery yoga classes at Kensington Palace, visits to private birthing coaches or if the Duchess had used extra services during the birth, like a Caesarean section or pain-reducing drugs.

In comparison the average cost of a vaginal delivery in the United States was $30,000 while a C-section cost over $50,000 of which the health insurers would pay out around $18,000 to $27,000. One of the main reasons for such a disparity in costs was that while countries such as Britain charged a one-off fee for the whole pregnancy, Americans have to pay for each individual service.

“It’s not primarily that we get a different bundle of services when we have a baby. It’s that we pay individually for each service and pay more for the services we receive”, Gerard Anderson, an economist at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, said.

Source-Medindia