'The Business of Being Born'

The bills have started to come for Nolan's labor and delivery. So far our insurance has been billed $9,229.65, which includes my labor and Nolan's delivery, hospital room and board for me, and miscellaneous standard hospital charges ($2,361.65). At least the hospital has gotten smarter in this space. When I reviewed the bills for Collin's labor and delivery, I noticed that the pharmacy charges for an Advil were obscene (over $5/pill). They don't itemize anymore. I'm sure they had enough complaints about that.

Don't worry...you don't have to start sending checks in our direction yet...unless you really want to. Our out of pocket expenses only total $3,460.62...so far!

My favorite charge was for diagnosis ($89), since the lady at Hospital Admissions making minimum wage or even the man and woman checking in next to us could plainly see I was in labor. Are you kidding me? $89 bucks to tell me I'm going to have a baby? I had that figured out.

These charges do not yet include Nolan's room and board (which are charged to every parent even if the baby never sets foot in the nursery) and his circumcision. When all is said and done this little bundle of joy is going to cost around 15K...and that's going natural (ie...no drugs) with nurse midwifes delivering a healthy, robust 10 pounder. Ahhh...the business of being born.

It's really no surprise to me that labor and deliveries are the most profitable thing a hospital has going these days.