Watch CBS News

Study: Sacramento Most Expensive Place To Have A Baby In America

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A new study says Sacramento is the most expensive city to have a baby.

The short answer being it all is insurance costs, and there's no clear-cut answer for why insurance is so high in the area.

Like many moms, Nooshin Movassaghn was traumatized when doctors told her she had to deliver her second girl via emergency Cesarean section.

"The recovery with a C-section is horrible," she said.

But the bigger surprise came when she returned home and received the bill for her operation—$25,000 with $8,000 owed out of pocket.

"It's a business and a harsh reality that we have to go through," she said.

According to a new study, she's right. Researchers with Castlight health, a healthcare technology company, say Sacramento is the most expensive city in the nation to have a baby, ahead of San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.

And it's the same story whether the baby is delivered via C-section or vaginally—$27,000 and $15,420 respectively. A C-section is nearly four times in expensive in Sacramento compared to Pittsburgh, where it's $6,900.

"Pricing in healthcare is a black box," said Kristin Torres Mowat. "One doesn't understand why pricing varies so much across providers."

The analysis is based on medical insurance claims data.

"The data comes from real claims that we see. and so they're real numbers," she said. "We're not making them up."

The California Hospital Association, which lobbies on behalf of hospitals and what they can charge, says "people should not be alarmed by the study because what people pay is dependent on what insurance coverage they have."

Nooshin paid for her C-section in installments. She hopes the study is a wakeup call for uninsured moms.

"I can't imagine a woman who's not insured and doesn't have the knowledge and resources and gets a bill like that. Daunting when you just had a baby," she said.

Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Hospitals said they couldn't speak to the data specifically, but they add that their hospitals are committed to delivering high quality care at an affordable price.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.