U.S. hospitals charged an average of $12,290 for vaginal birth and $16,907 for a cesarean section in 2017, according to data from FAIR Health, a nonprofit that tracks health-care prices. Insurance plans typically negotiate a lower rate, but the charges and the amount insurance pays vary widely across the country, from $9,000 for a vaginal birth in Alabama to $27,000 for a C-section in Alaska.
Read more: