“The study found that among women and newborns with employer-provided commercial health insurance, average total charges for care with vaginal and cesarean births were $32,093 and $51,125, respectively. Average total Commercial insurer payments for all maternal and newborn care with vaginal and cesarean childbirths were $18,329 and $27,866, respectively. In Medicaid, average total maternal and newborn care charges for care with vaginal and cesarean births were $29,800 and $50,373, respectively. Medicaid payments for all maternal and newborn care involving vaginal and cesarean childbirths were $9,131 and $13,590, respectively. Both Commercial and Medicaid payers paid approximately 50% more for cesarean than vaginal births. For both types of birth, Commercial payers paid approximately 100% more than Medicaid. ” — Maureen P. Corry, Medscape, The Cost of Having a Baby in the United States: Executive Summary. Truven Health Analytics recently issued a major new report,The Cost of Having a Baby in the United States; with permission from Truven, Medscape is reproducing several items from the report.
