More than a third of all pregnant women in the United States delivered their babies via cesarean section in 2006. Here in the Tampa Bay area, where the average C-section rate at the area's ten busiest hospitals is around 37%, it meant that more than 11,000 Bay area women had their babies via C-section that year.
The average cost for one of those C-sections was $16,700, according to the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). This includes hospital fees only, and does not include the cost of the obstetrician, anesthesiologist, medications, neonatal intensive care unit, or other related charges.
According to the AHCA, in Pinellas County, Morton Plant had the highest number of total births, at 3,662, as well as the lowest C-section rate. It also charged the least for the operation, $13,490, which is considerably less than the state average of $16,020. The hospital that charged the most -- $20,979 -- was St. Pete General, which performed 493 C-sections in 2006.
In Hillsborough, the AHCA reports that St. Joseph's was the busiest hospital, with nearly 7,000 births in 2006. The C-sections at St. Joe's cost $15,186 each, less than the state average. The most expensive in Hillsborough was Tampa General, which performed more than 1,500 c-sections in 2006, at a cost of $19,510, well above the state average.
For comparison, the AHCA reports that the average cost of a vaginal birth in Pinellas in 2006 was $9,235, and in Hillsborough, it was $9564. Again, these are hospital costs only and do not include the cost of the physician or special services.
If you don't have insurance, it's obvious why you would want to pay attention to the cost of the procedure. But why is cost important if you have health insurance? Because some policies, especially the most affordable ones, have a high deductible and/or out-of-pocket expenses. Be sure you know what your policy covers before you go into labor so you won't be surprised by both an unexpected C-section and a big hospital bill.
Better yet, couples can help avoid an unnecessary and expensive C-section by preparing for a natural and safe vaginal birth through a good childbirth class, such as Happy Birth Way. The classes focus on staying low-risk, and teach both what to expect and how to relax in labor, since both can help labor progress more quickly and reduce the need for medical interventions.
By learning about the choices related to labor and birth, couples become empowered to make their own decisions about their birth experience, which increases their chance of a natural, lower-cost vaginal birth. Read more about what you'll learn in Happy Birth Way by clicking on "Class Content." 
