Woman Gets $783,000 Hospital Bill After Giving Birth

Video
Related Videos
AD Loading ...
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 1:36
Loaded: 0.00%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 1:36
Â
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • default, selected
    Health Insurance Companies Face New Rules Across U.S. States

    A woman is facing a $783,000 hospital bill after giving birth, based on her daughter's NICU expenses.

    The content creator Janice Hernandez, 25, shared her story on TikTok as millions have called out the American health-care system and insurance companies in recent months.

    Why It Matters

    Since the early December killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Americans have been increasingly critical of the health-care system and insurers, which frequently deny coverage and leave patients with huge medical bills.

    Without insurance, a hospital childbirth can cost as much as $50,000, but with neonatal ICU expenses, the price tag can be in the hundreds of thousands.

    NICU
    Hayes Collins, born two weeks early, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at American Fork Hospital on December 16, 2019, in American Fork, Utah. NICU stays can be expensive, as a woman, not Collins' mother,... NATALIE BEHRING/AFP via Getty Images

    What To Know

    Hernandez, who goes by @janiceheartss on the app, said she faces nearly a $1 million bill for her child's NICU stay in a TikTok video from this week.

    After going through the itemized bill, she said it included overcharges, with even a small Aquaphor bottle adding $25 to the overall charge.

    While Hernandez's daughter is insured through her husband's job, Hernandez is a stay-at-home mother who doesn't qualify for Medicaid because her husband makes $100 over the poverty limit, she said.

    "I haven't heard back from insurance yet but the deductible we have to meet before it being free is around $5,000, meaning I'll have to eventually pay her deductible before getting free care," Hernandez told Newsweek.

    Her daughter was born with a rare genetic disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome, which only adds to their expenses for specialist doctors and therapy, Hernandez said.

    "We have multiple appointments weekly," Hernandez said. "This affects us tremendously being that we're a one income household. And while we might not be at the poverty level, we're not far from it so it's very difficult to even pay for what my daughter needs. I've built up insane amounts of debt paying for all my high-risk pregnancy appointments and her specialty care appointments now that she's born. I've just been paying with credit since we can't afford all the appointments."

    At the hospital, Hernandez said no one talked about what they would owe for the NICU and there was no financial assistance option offered.

    "They switched her room three times and then transferred the unit another three," Hernandez said. "Just that is $31,800. If I knew we were paying to simply be walked down the hall, I would've had them carry me. Roll me on a bed too."

    What People Are Saying

    Janice Hernandez told Newsweek: "This reflects how flawed our health-care system is in the U.S. There are so many people who need care and because they can't pay the price for it, they end up dying. It happens way too often. I know many people are talking about insurance and how I won't pay the full $700,000 but imagine if I didn't meet that deadline of getting her added onto my husband's benefits. Imagine the thousands of Americans who like me aren't employed and don't get to have insurance. They're expected to pay out of pocket. And if they can't meet their payments, the hospitals and collections do whatever with their info and debt."

    Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek: "The opacity of hospital pricing creates an environment where patients have zero negotiating power. Unlike any other major purchase in our lives, new parents can't shop around for NICU care when their newborn needs immediate medical attention. In my experience, even attempting to get a price estimate beforehand is often futile."

    Kevin Thompson, a finance expert and the founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek: "The American health-care system has significant flaws, but there are many assistance programs available for those willing to seek them out. I remember my wife discovering Angel Flights, which provided transportation to and from Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The Ronald McDonald House offers invaluable support for families in need. Additionally, Medicaid services can help offset a significant portion of medical costs—but navigating these resources requires effort."

    Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "The story shared in the video by this patient is sadly becoming the norm for many individuals and their families faced with escalating medical bills that their insurance may or may not fully or partially cover. Most of the disdain for the current pricing model most medical facilities and companies use doesn't just center around the cost itself, but the lack of transparency for most charges and the reasoning why mundane items are so expensive."

    What Happens Next

    Ryan said stories like Hernandez's are increasingly common as there's almost always a gap between what people think their insurance covers and the reality of the situation.

    "These massive bills create ripple effects that devastate families' long-term financial health," Ryan said. "Beyond the immediate impact, I've seen how medical debt forces young parents to delay homeownership, halt retirement savings, and even file for bankruptcy."

    The medical debt can also contribute to America's growing wealth gap on a larger scale.

    "Through my work with hundreds of families, I've observed that these catastrophic bills hit middle-class families hardest," Ryan said. "They earn too much to qualify for medical assistance but not enough to absorb six-figure medical bills. They're often forced to make impossible choices between paying medical bills and saving for their child's education.

    "Stories like this viral TikTok video aren't outliers - but signs of a broken system where having a baby can trigger financial ruin. Until we address the core issues we'll continue seeing families devastated by medical debt just for bringing new life into the world."

    About the writer


    Suzanne Blake is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on consumer and social trends, spanning ... Read more