Couple left with $200k bill after baby born in US (www.bbc.co.uk)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by Beep@lemmus.org to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world

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A couple were told they faced a $200,000 (£146,500) medical bill when their baby was born prematurely in the US, despite them having travel insurance which covered her pregnancy.

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[-] Damage@feddit.it 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

The costs are not comparable, otherwise or healthcare systems would all be bankrupt. And here we don't have the same incentives to inflate costs.

[-] scarabic@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yes the costs would be different. Perhaps 100,000€ instead of $200,000. The fact remains tourists don’t get free healthcare anywhere.

This is a complete nothingburger of a story. The couple got treatment. Their insurance was billed, exactly as it would have been if they’d been in Canada or Portugal.

Their insurance momentarily denied to cover them. Why aren’t we mad at them? Because this clickbait story was created to stoke a pre-existing “America sucks” narrative and get outrage clicks.

And they seem to have played everyone here perfectly.

[-] stephen01king@piefed.zip -1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Maybe they denied to cover them because of the ridiculously high bill, have you ever thought about that?

Edit: It seems the cost of a normal birth in Germany is at most €7500 for a tourist with no insurance.

[-] scarabic@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Helllllo the baby was 7 weeks premature and in intensive care for 3 weeks. The cost of a normal birth is totally irrelevant. You didn’t read the article, obviously.

I paid literally zero for either of my kids births right here in California.

this post was submitted on 21 Feb 2026

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