CHESAPEAKE VA. — Preparing for a baby can be expensive. It's more than buying diapers, formula, and baby clothes, but also doctors visits and the care that is required after birth. In fact, that just scratches the surface of how much parents will pay from pregnancy to adulthood.
As many mothers, and parents, take the next step in building their family, there are costs they may not have considered.
It's often not until they talk with their insurance companies and friends that they understand what costs they are incurring. When Hailey Schmucker found out she was pregnant she tried to do as much research as possible.
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"I did know how expensive having a child was because I have friends and family raising kids so I see how quickly those expenses can add up," she says.
Schmucker says she looked at benefits, compared hospital prices, and asked questions to anyone who would listen. If you don't take an active approach to find the information, the bill can surprise you.
"Looking at people who have private insurance, we see that on average, people are spending about $3,000 more than they otherwise would on their out-of-pocket health care costs," says Cynthia Cox, the Vice President of KFF.
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KFF is a health policy research and news organization that investigates costs associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. Their research finds that medical debt is twice as high among new moms.
"A lot of people don't have $3,000 in cash sitting in their checking account," Cox says.
"I think people are doing their best to save up for a kid, knowing that a kid is always going to be expensive, but the other issue here is that employer health plans are raising deductibles."
Regardless of if you have private insurance, Medicaid, or are uninsured, at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, and other hospitals, you can look up prices online.
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It's due to the hospital price transparency regulation that requires hospitals in the United States to make their prices available to the public online. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the regulation went into effect on January 1, 2021, and applies to all hospitals, regardless of how they are paid.
Shannon Roberts is the Director of Women’s Services at Chesapeake Regional and says, "you can plug in some things, look at what your insurance is, look at what cost is going to be, and it can give you a ballpark on what to expect."
The online tool is helping new moms and parents prepare financially.
Chesapeake Regional also helps parents prepare by offering tours of the facility. Roberts says people can ask questions to get a better understanding of what it would be like to give birth at their hospital.
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"We'll touch on all three areas of the process. We will share what you can expect in labor and delivery from your admission. Once you deliver, whether it is vaginally in a private room or in our operating room as an operative delivery, once you finish there, we are going to take you to postpartum," she says.
Guests can also meet nursing staff and tour the neonatal unit.
Individuals giving the tour can talk about different labor scenarios and what services could be added onto a mother’s experience. Each additional service could mean an additional cost.
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While it can be overwhelming to hear, it all plays a role in budgeting and planning.
"There's a lot of disciplines that come together and collaborate to make sure that your care is safe and is of-quality," Roberts says.
For anyone getting ready to embark on motherhood, Schmucker says to take time doing your research.
Childcare is also a major concern for millions of families. In a recent News 3 report, Angela Bohon learned that the average cost of care for an infant in Virginia Beach is close to $18,500. Click here to learn more about what is being done to address the need.
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