Price of giving birth depends on which state you live in

If you are considering having a baby in the US you may want to think twice about which state you live in. 

Figures compiled by FAIR Health show that Alaska is the most expensive state to give birth, costing $5,000 more than Alabama, the cheapest state.

The price of giving birth goes up depending on the type of delivery. C-sections are considered major procedures and can cost about $5,000 more than a vaginal delivery.

With the health care system in the US questionable, checking these figures may be beneficial before paying out of pocket to start a family.

FAIR Health is a non-profit organization that provides information about healthcare costs.

They used numbers from 2016 and 2017 based on insurance claims data from giving birth.

The information includes the cost of prenatal care, hospital fees and the anesthesiologist’s fee. 

Data excludes the price of caring for the newborn, which is billed separately. 

The results showed a stark difference in the cost of a vaginal delivery and c-section.  

This is because c-sections are considered a major surgery that requires an operating room as well as more staff to assist in the birth. 

Alaska was found to be the most expensive state to birth a child, costing a family $10,413 for a vaginal delivery and $14,528 for a c-section.

Fred Bentley, vice president at consulting firm Avalere told TIME Money that medical supplies cost more in Alaska because the state is outside the continental US and supplies needs to be flown there.

He added that hospitals may need to pay physicians higher salaries to entice them to come to Alaska, a price that gets passed down to patients. 

The other outlying state, Hawaii, was among the top 10 least expensive states to give birth.

It costs $5,743 to have a vaginal birth in The Aloha State and $8,265 for a c-section. 

We can speculate that the sunshine and beaches may play a role. 

The least expensive state to have a baby vaginally is Alabama, costing $5,017.

Washington DC is the cheapest place to have a baby via c-section, costing $7,439. 

Bentley said that competition plays a role and prices tend to be higher areas with a dominant health care system.

The top five most expensive states for a vaginal birth include: Alaska, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin and Connecticut, all costing between $8,000 and $10,500.

The top five for c-sections are the same with prices ranging between $11,000 to $15,000.  

The five least expensive states for vaginal birth include: Alabama, Utah, Road Island, Nebraska and Kansas, all costing between $5,000 and $5,500.

The five least expensive states for c-sections include, Washington DC, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas and Maine, costing between $7,400 and $8,200.