The $50,000 Baby
Posted by Advocate Aaron on June 5, 2009 · Leave a Comment
The cost of a newborn baby can be as much as $30,000 (http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090426/LIFE03/904260512/1079/LIFE).
The cost of prenatal care and delivery can be anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000 and beyond.
The median household income in the United States is $50,000 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States).
If you have an uncomplicated pregnancy with a normal vaginal delivery, and have two working parents in the household who earn “median” wages but do not have maternity health care coverage, that leaves you with about $10,000 to get through the year. If you have an “average” C-section, that leaves you with $0. And if you have a complicated pregnancy, you could be left $40,000 in debt. And if your baby needs intensive neo-natal care, you might be stuck with a bill of over $200,000.
Putting things in perspective, why should so natural as bringing a new life into the world cost $50,000+?
