Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
$39.35 Charge For Mom To Hold Newborn Incites Outpouring Of Medical Billing Horror Stories
After a man posted the bill for his wife's C-section online, showing a fee for "skin to skin after c-sec," outrage spread like wildfire as it resonated with so many people who faced similar situations.
After holding his newborn son for the first time at a Utah hospital last month, a man found a strange charge on his bill: $39.35.The man, Ryan Grassley, thought the charge, which appeared to be for holding his baby to his wife鈥檚 chest, was a bit of a joke. (The charge was listed as 鈥渟kin to skin after C-sec.鈥) So he didn鈥檛 take it too seriously when he posted a picture of the bill on Reddit. ...聽The Reddit post touched a nerve with people because it seemed to underscore a national frustration with unexpected hospital fees and arcane medical billing. (Bromwich, 10/5)
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