[dandersh]

When our youngest was born the nurses (incorrectly) thought his blood sugar was low and had him transferred to a different hospital via ambulance. We were able to fight and get the $2000 bill waived on account of the fact that it was a needless trip. Unfortunately my wife spent the night alone as I was with our son.

On a somewhat related note in the span of 10 years the cost to us to deliver our kids doubled. Same hospital too.

[jschwartzi]

This was a serious discussion my wife and I had when we were deciding to have a kid. The maximum out of pocket for both of us could easily wipe out my savings.

It felt really fucked up to have this discussion in what is supposed to be a first-world country. Like we were talking about alternatives like hiring a midwife or a doula because it would be cheaper. I don't even think that would be a discussion in most second-world countries.

The whole system is outrageous.

[agensaequivocum]

You probably won't hit the out of pocket maximum unless there is a complication. When my wife and I had our first, I was making decent money, still the hospital wrote off the entire bill through their financial assistance program.

[matsemann]

In most of the rest of the western world, the cost of childbirth is mainly the parking fee and snacks from a vending machine while waiting.

[lawn]

In Sweden we stayed at the hospital a few nights with both our sons. The parking was the biggest cost and food for me (my girlfriend got the food for free but I didn't).