The rest of the world is often baffled when they learn how much health care can cost in the United States. And it really can still be shocking every time we hear the numbers too. Recently, TikToker Allison Kuch shared a video showing the itemized C-section bill from her daughter's birth, and the cost breakdown is kind of wild to see. Even some of the smallest items' prices seemed enormously inflated.
To see how much she was charged to bring her daughter into the world, keep reading.
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Room & Board β $5,552.88
Allison said she gave birth at a Newport Beach hospital in California that she said some have compared to a hotel. "I've stayed at some nice hotels in my lifetime but none that cost $2,700 a night," she said in her TikTok video. The grand total for her and her husband's two-night stay was $5,552.88.
Pharmacy β $2,945.70
Having a C-section inevitably comes with a lot of pain and some necessary medications to help curb that. Allison didn't give a detailed description of what exactly she was charged for at the hospital's pharmacy, but the grand total was nearly $3,000.
Ibuprofen β $25.55
Although she understandably didn't discuss exactly which medications she was prescribed, Allison did reveal the cost of a 600-mg dose of ibuprofen β $25.55. Amazon sells entire bottles of ibuprofen for less. One listing is a 500-pill bottle for $8.78 containing a 100,000 mg total.
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Operating Room Services β $15,754.12
Allison had a planned C-section because her daughter was breech, and she acknowledged that the most expensive part of her bill was the surgery to get her daughter out. The total for the operating room services came to $15,754.12 for her 30-minute procedure.
Anesthesia β $1,672.82
"So I didn't feel anything. Really grateful for this cost," Allison said in her TikTok video about the $1,600 charge for her C-section anesthesia. Nobody wants to skimp on anesthesia when they're being cut into, but it's still a pretty penny to experience it pain-free.
Laboratory Testing β $1,895.72
Allison described this nearly $2,000 charge as "testing all my secretions." We don't know exactly what was tested or how many tests were run, but it is pretty standard for labs to be run for most hospital visits βΒ planned C-sections included.
Medical & Surgical Supplies β $1,413.26
For the combined total of all the supplies needed to perform her 30-minute C-section, Allison was charged almost $1,500. She also showed the breakdown of what some of those supplies were but said that she wasn't sure what any of the items actually were used for. We did some googling to try to figure out what the charges were for and learned a few things.
Glue βΒ $138.98
Allison had a $138.98 charge for "Dermabond Skin Adh Advanced," which likely means that her C-section cut was glued shut. According to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, that's one of two ways to finish a C-section. The other is to use sutures.
Catheter β $93.62
In her video, Allison guessed that one of those charges was probably for a catheter "so I didn't pee all over the table." (Always a nice thing to not have to do.) She's likely right because there was a $93.62 charge for a Tray Foley, a type of urine catheter.
Smoke Evacuation β $202.95
There was also a $202.95 charge for "Smoke Evac Pencil." Electrosurgery, including cutting someone open for a C-section, can generate smoke. There are pencil-like objects designed to remove that smoke, per Johnson&Johnson MedTech. That seems to be what Allison was charged for here.
Recovery Room β $691.11
This nearly $700 recovery room charge was separate from her regular room charge. It was probably a brief stay directly following the actual surgery β possibly while she recovered from the anesthesia. Per Texas Health, C-section recipients spend about two hours in the recovery room.
Total β $29,925.61
The grand total for everything involved with her C-section was just a few dollars short of $30,000. Meanwhile, husband Isaac Rochell had guessed the total was $5,000. Nope β try multiplying that by six. And actually, that wasn't even everything she was required to pay for the baby. That was just for her operation and recovery. Let's not forget that once the baby comes, that's a whole separate bill.
Two Items Weren't Even Included
According to Allison's video, two major charges not included in that $30,000 were the cost of her doctor and the hospital bill her daughter got once she was born. She didn't share what the total of either of those costs were, but we can imagine they weren't cheap based on all these other prices.
The Average Cost of Giving Birth
Allison's grand total is actually pretty much in line with the average cost of giving birth in the United States. According to Forbes, the average C-section cost is $26,280. It's less for a vaginal delivery at $14,768. When pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care are combined, the average cost was $18,865.
Good Insurance Pays Off
Having good insurance, which is still a luxury in this country, can be extremely helpful when getting these high hospital bills. For Allison, she was still on her husband's NFL insurance, because he's a football player. In another TikTok video she explained that her insurance ended up paying the entire total of her C-section bill.
