Thanks to our brilliant NHS, paying thousands of pounds to give birth is something most Brits don't often have to consider. But in the US, having a baby costs an eye-watering amount of money.
And more specifically, New York is thought to be one of the most expensive places to give birth in the entire world.
According to data from a Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) report in 2020, the total cost of childbirth in New York stands at nearly $20,000 (£16,631).
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Elsewhere in America, the report looked at 350,000 births across the US between 2016 and 2017 and found the average cost of childbirth for those with employer-sponsored insurance was $13,811 (£11,485), with out of pocket spending varying from $1,000 (£831) to $2,500 (£2,079)
The price increases significantly for women who undergo a caesarean section, with the average cost increasing to over $17,000 (£14,137). Nearly 33 percent of births in the study were caesarean sections, while 67 percent were vaginal births.
Discussing the variation in costs across the US, the HCCI explained: "We find that spending per vaginal birth varies across states. For example, spending on vaginal birth ranges from $7,507 (£6,245) in Arkansas to $17,556 (£14,597) in New York.
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"In general, California and northeastern states had higher spending per vaginal birth compared to midwestern and southern states.
"These differences in average spending per vaginal delivery could be due to a combination of variation in provider prices and the intensity of cases presenting in different states."
Of prices variation depending on treatment, the study added: "Among childbirth admissions, children are delivered by one of two procedures - either by vaginal birth or C-section. Because C-sections are a more intensive surgical procedure, they are typically associated with longer, more expensive admissions."
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Despite many mothers having health insurance, a study in Health Affairs found that on average, a woman with insurance in America will pay more than $4,500 (£3,741) for her labour and delivery in out of pocket expenses.
The study cited one reason for this as the increase in high deductibles - aka the sum of money that a customer must pay before insurances companies release any funds.
For example, with a £2,000 deductible, you would pay the first £2,000 of costs yourself.
According to a study from the National Health Interview Survey, the percentage of women with deductibles has risen from 69 per cent to 87 percent in seven years.
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