如今，美國女性一個月的收入還不夠生個孩子的

如今，美國女性一個月的收入還不夠生個孩子的

A new study revealed that the cost of childbirth has become exorbitant for many mothers — regardless of insurance status. Researchers found that pregnant women with employer-provided health insurance spent an average of $4,500 out of pocket in 2015, the most recent data available.

一項新的研究顯示，對許多母親來說，不管是否有保險，生育的費用已經變得過高。研究人員發(fā)現，根據現有的最新數據，2015年，擁有雇主提供的醫(yī)療保險的孕婦平均支出為4500美元。

That’s a 50% spike compared with 2007, when the cost was about $3,000 out of pocket — and more than three times the rate of inflation during that period.

與2007年相比，這一數字增長了50%，當時的成本約為3,000美元，是同期通脹率的三倍多。

“I don’t know a lot of patients who have this kind of funding lying around,” Dr. Michelle Moniz, a physician and assistant professor at the University of Michigan and study author, told CBS News.

“我不知道有多少人有這樣的資金，”密歇根大學(University of Michigan)的助理教授、該研究的作者米歇爾·莫尼茲(Michelle Moniz)博士告訴CBS新聞(CBS News)。

“These expenses are coming at a time when most of my patients are thinking of everything else on their baby list,” she added, “a crib, a car seat, everything they need to keep their newborn safe — and they aren’t expecting a bill like this.”

她補充說:“這些費用是在我的大多數病人都在考慮他們的嬰兒清單上的其他東西的時候出現的，一個嬰兒床，一個汽車座椅，他們需要的一切來保證他們新生兒的安全——他們沒有料到會有這樣一筆賬單。”

The study, published this week in Health Affairs, included birth records from more than 650,000 women who would be considered in the best position to give birth, thanks to their large employer-sponsored health insurance plans, which typically offer more cost coverage than plans through small businesses or those purchased independently through HealthCare.gov.

這項研究發(fā)表在本周的《健康事務,包括出生記錄來自650000多個女性會被視為生在最好的位置,由于大量的雇主贊助的健康保險計劃,通常提供更多的保險成本比計劃通過小企業(yè)或通過HealthCare.gov獨立購買。

The cause of the increase isn’t due to the rising cost of hospital care. In fact, the actual billed amount for childbirth remained fairly steady over the seven-year study period. Instead, researchers found that deductible payments rose from about $1,500 to nearly $2,500, while coinsurance costs (what the patient pays after meeting their deductible) increased by about $300.

增長的原因不是由于醫(yī)院護理費用的增加。事實上，在七年的研究期間，分娩的實際賬單金額保持相當穩(wěn)定。相反，研究人員發(fā)現，可扣除的費用從約1500美元增加到近2500美元，而共同保險費用(病人在達到可扣除費用后支付的費用)增加了約300美元。

“I was completely surprised that the phenomenon of having to pay something out of pocket for maternity care was almost universal,” said Moniz. “98% of people had some out-of-pocket cost by the end of the study.”

莫尼茲說:“我非常驚訝，幾乎所有的產婦護理都是自費的。”“到研究結束時，98%的人都有一些自付費用。”

For those without insurance, the cost is staggering. Health-care watchdog Fair Health found that the average cost of vaginal birth without insurance in Alabama, where childbirth costs are lowest, is $9,516.86. On the high end, in Alaska, a natural birth averages $20,243.38. Women who require a C-section can count on paying approximately $4,000 to $8,000 more.

對于那些沒有保險的人來說，費用是驚人的。衛(wèi)生保健監(jiān)督機構Fair Health發(fā)現，在分娩成本最低的阿拉巴馬州，沒有保險的順產平均成本為9,516.86美元。在阿拉斯加，自然分娩的平均費用是20,243.38美元。需要剖腹產的女性可以多支付大約4000至8000美元。

Study authors call out the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which requires employer-based insurance plans to cover maternity services, pointing out that just because it’s now mandatory doesn’t mean it’s more affordable.

研究報告的作者們指出，《平價醫(yī)療法案》(ACA)要求以雇主為基礎的保險計劃來覆蓋生育服務，并指出僅僅因為它現在是強制性的并不意味著它更容易負擔。

“For people who talk about the ACA, there seems to be this misconception that ‘oh, maternity’s covered,’?” said Moniz, who wrote in her report that those plans are being allowed to “impose cost-sharing such as copayments and deductibles.”

莫尼茲在她的報告中寫道:“對于那些談論ACA的人來說，似乎有一種誤解，認為‘噢，產假有保障’。”

That’s especially concerning considering pregnancy-related deaths are also on the rise, especially among black and other minority women. A 2019 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that US women today are 50% more likely to die of childbirth-related complications than a generation ago.

尤其是考慮到與懷孕相關的死亡人數也在上升，尤其是在黑人和其他少數族裔女性中。美國疾病控制與預防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention，簡稱cdc) 2019年的一份報告指出，與上一代人相比，如今美國女性死于分娩相關并發(fā)癥的可能性增加了50%。

“Our hope is that policymakers take note now and change the situation,” she added. “We want every family to get off to the best start in life, and this is an irremediable barrier.”

她補充道:“我們希望政策制定者現在注意到這一點，并改變這種狀況。”“我們希望每個家庭都能有一個最好的開始，這是一個不可逾越的障礙。”