How Much Does a C-Section Cost? At One Hospital, Anywhere From $6,241 to $60,584. - WSJ

The rate the hospital charges depends on the insurance plan covering the birth. At the bottom end of the scale is a local health plan that serves largely Medicaid recipients. At the top are prices for women whose plans don’t have the San Francisco hospital in their insurers’ network.

This plan to force hospital disclosure on prices is basically meaningless. The United States has the most advanced healthcare system in the world, with the lion’s share of innovation and new pharmaceuticals available to patients. It isn’t outrageous that you go to providers and facilities that your insurance plan has contracts with through which costs can be controlled.

The main driver of healthcare spending isn’t different pricing for service depending on your insurance carrier. The main drivers are over-utilization and inappropriate use of points of care.

American obesity increased 12 points from 2000 - 2018 with the rate of morbid obesity nearly doubling over the same time period. That’s an area where we can make meaningful improvements for both patient outcomes and patient finances. If only we could get the 42.4% of obese adults to make better lifestyle decisions.