Oh Baby! NJ Is the Second-Most Expensive State to Give Birth
About 85% of women in New Jersey have given birth by their mid-40s, and it can leave families with a hefty medical bill.
FAIR Health, an independent non-profit organization, pulled numbers on the cost of giving birth in each state, and New Jersey ranks second highest. Their prices represent an estimate of the amount that insurers agree to pay doctors and hospitals.
According to Time Magazine, prices are highest in Alaska, whose location makes it a bit of an outlier. Most goods cost more in that state, since they have to be flown there. And services and doctors generally cost more in Alaska.
But when it comes to the lower 48 states, New Jersey ranks as the number one, most costly, state with the average price of $9,302 for a vaginal birth and $13,000 for a c-section.
Your own costs are generally a percentage of your insurer’s negotiated amount. Your outlay will depend on a number of factors, including whether your medical providers are inside or outside your health plan’s network, and whether or not you’ve hit your deductible for the year. Those who have no insurance at all are usually charged a higher amount than the negotiated rate.
Source: FAIR Health/Time
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