Not acording to the hospital where I brought one into the world.
It's no secret that kids are expensive. But I had no idea one baby could put us back a small fortune before the age of five days. Right now I'm offering libations to the gods of health insurance. Without insurance, there is no way I could afford to give birth to, not to mention raise, children.
The total damage for five days in the hospital, including 25 hours of labor-related services and drugs, antibiotics, one cesarean operation, newborn medical care and a number of unspecified "misc. hospital services" is a whopping... (drumroll) ...
$ 23,081.85.
Yes, please don't forget the 85 cents (it's enough to buy one bag of skittles).
This price does not include my numberous bills for pre-natal medical care and ultrasounds. It also does not include baby's first check up and circumcision. It also does not include the costs of OB services... Damn.
Our total responsibility for Jacob's tremendous price tag is: 1,417.56 (hence the libations to health insurance gods). And I have to say that he is absolutely worth every penny. But that doesn't mean we aren't feeling the pinch. We got this bill AFTER we put a down payment on a new roof for our home (which s $13K) and AFTER we decided that we need to buy a new used vehicle (our '95 Aerostar van with 230,000 miles on it just isn't safe anymore).
This is going to be a lean next couple of years.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
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3 comments:
OMG, thank God for insurance! I'm currently paying for Cobra coverage because I had the most phenomenal insurance through PJO's old job, so my obligation for the entire pregnancy (including delivery) amounts to less than $300... but those premiums every month suck!
And while it's not exactly fun, I'm pretty sure the "lean years" with the first child are like an obligatory rite of passage into parenthood.
Landon's birth and NICU stay amounted to over $60,000, not including physician services. I can't imagine facing that bill without insurance.
I have had Met life for years threw my job.I have been sick and off work for over a year.I was 6 days late on my payment and they cancelled my policy AND KEEP ALL THE MONEY THAT I PAYED IN.I WOULD NOT RECOMMENED THIS COMPANY TO ANYONE.MARSH CO. IS PART OF MET LIFE JFITZHU@AOL.COM
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