Woman born via C-section in 1961 shares hospital bill from the day, and everyone's jaw just hit the floor

Sure, childbirth is one of the most rewarding experiences in life, but is it affordable? No, of course not. Besides physical and mental health, one must also consider their financial condition before planning a baby, because family planning is a serious matter, especially in this economy. Melissa Block (@nprmelissablock), from Washington, DC, stumbled upon the hospital bill from the day she was born in 1961, and netizens are beyond shocked by the amount of money charged for a C-section delivery. Block posted it on X on her birthday in December, 57 years later.

Block was born via C-section, and her mom had to spend 9 days in the hospital. At present, if someone spends even a week in the hospital, they might have to get admitted again after seeing the bill, but that wasn't the case in '61. The Long Island College Hospital charged $26.00 per day for the mother and $10.00 per day for the baby. Other expenses, including laboratory, operating room, drugs, supplies, and phone charges, amounted to around $105 for nearly 10 days. The total hospital bill was $418.85, but initially Block's family paid only $4.60 for the phone charges, perhaps. The remaining $414.25 was also reduced to $80.75 as an AHS allowance — a form of insurance — covered the rest. Drawing a comparison between hospital expenses, Block wrote, "Oh, and in 2018 dollars, that $80.75 would be $509.17. For I repeat, a nine-day hospital stay and surgery."

Inflation is real, and more than anything else, it significantly impacts the medical field, disrupting people's right to health. In fact, a study by researchers Jamie Daw and Heidi L. Allen found that more than 50% of new parents reported spending over $1,000 for childbirth despite having commercial insurance. Moreover, nearly 40% reported being somewhat or very worried about paying their health care bills. "There are significant costs associated with a new baby, including diapers and childcare. Additionally, many people take unpaid family leave, and some reduce their hours at work. Making childbirth more affordable should be a public policy priority," Allen said. 

Meanwhile, reacting to the thread, @melissaru3 commented, "Holy motherf****** shitballs! I work in a doctor's office and want to swear all the time about the adventures in billing I hear. This comparison is WILD!" @rscotthurst shared, "I just went back to look at what we were billed. My wife had a C-section baby this past June. 3 days/2 nights in hospital. The total billed to our insurance for Mom and baby was ~$36k!" @domcarpentiermd wrote, "That is amazing. I love how the baby is $10 a day."

@ericson_rick commented, "The average rent was 110 bucks in 1961. The overall prices have increased about 10:1 since then. Medical cost inflation is clearly higher." @danak6jq chimed in, saying, "Of course, if we scale the 1961 dollars into 2018 dollars, it's easily $260 a day." However, @bretthhorton, who had a different perspective about the inflation, pointed out, "For a true comparison, what’s the cost of the training and equipment used on that day in the delivery room versus today’s delivery rooms? And the emergency facilities in case something goes wrong? And the salaries for the RNs and MDs? There’s a cost to technological advancement."

You can follow Melissa Block (@nprmelissablock) on X for lifestyle content.

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