America's health care costs are skyrocketing while the availability of medical insurance continues to implode. How will the popularity of unneeded cesarean births affect this? Your report ("Planned C-sections satisfying to moms," May 8 ) failed to mention any cost difference between a C-section and normal birth.
I was under the impression that surgical C-sections are far more costly than a regular, uncomplicated delivery, but this wasn't commented upon. I'd like to know if Dawn Cofiell, the mother who elected to have her children by C-section, paid for the procedures. Or did she have a terrific insurance policy so the price tag was no problem?
It frightens me that unnecessary surgery is treated as a new, attractive option, especially when it runs up medical and hospital bills. Also this "new normal" is a gold mine for doctors and hospitals.
Before you sing the praises of C-section births, let's talk about the price. I'm tired of seeing taxpayer-funded health care exploited by unnecessary surgery. And I think insurance companies would balk at funding unneeded surgery and longer hospital stays. Certainly group policy members should be outraged if they are expected to be part of a plan that compensates "boutique" or unneeded medical costs. It drives up everyone's premiums.
If women want to pay for a C-section when it is absolutely unnecessary, I have no problem — but I don't like having my health insurance go through the roof because of so many new, unnecessary medical procedures available on the menu!
Rosalind Ellis, Baltimore