The typical cost for a vaginal delivery without complications is $9,000 to $17,000 in the U.S., depending on geographic location, and whether there is a discount for uninsured patients. A Caesarean section runs $14,000 to $25,000. The baby usually gets a separate bill: $1,500 to $4,000 for a healthy full-term baby.
Tucson Medical Center (TMC) in Tucson, Arizona, however, offers a special package—and it’s not for a drive-by delivery. The cost is $2,300 for a normal delivery with a two-day hospital stay, and $4,600 for an uncomplicated Caesarean section with a four-day stay. Included are exams for the newborn, and a massage for the mother. The childbirth package is one of a number of pre-paid deals offered to affluent Mexican nationals who like the amenities of American medical care—as well as to other self-paying patients.
“These are families with a lot of money, and some (women) arrive on private jets,” said Shawn Page, TMC’s administrator of international services and relations (Mariana Alvarado, Arizona Daily Star 6/21/09).
The practice of wealthy Mexican women coming to the U.S. to give birth has gone on for generations, and occurs at all Tucson hospitals. TMC is said to be the only one actively soliciting this business. While legal, it offends advocates of tougher immigration standards, because babies born here automatically receive U.S. citizenship. The automatic citizenship is a feature of U.S. federal law, and hospitals are required by the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) to provide maternity services to illegal aliens who just walk in and do not pay.
The newspaper story garnered more than 180 reader comments, many expressing anger about “anchor babies.”
But one commenter asked a key question: “It costs less than 5,000 for a C-section? If it’s that cheap why do people even worry about getting insurance?”
The prices quoted for the package deals do not include fees for the anesthesiologist, surgeon, or physicians who interpret tests.
“Packages are offered to self-pay patients only, not to patients covered by insurance. To receive package program rates, full payments must be received before services are performed, otherwise full charges will be billed.”
Additional information:
- An ambulatory surgery facility posts prices: www.surgerycenterok.com
