The Financial Burden of Miscarriage: Janie Faville’s Medical Bill
Janie Faville, 27, wants to remind people that miscarriages—as devastating as they can be—often come with a price tag. The Kansas City, Missouri, social worker suffered a miscarriage in January after nine weeks of pregnancy. To treat her miscarriage, Faville had a dilation and curettage procedure (D&C). This surgical procedure removed tissue from her uterus, treating the miscarriage immediately. She had it done the day after she learned she miscarried.
The Real Cost of Treatment
At the time, Faville didn't fully consider the financial repercussions of the procedure. She tells SELF she has what she considers "good insurance"—she's insured through her employer, and she has a $1,000 deductible. Still, when she received her explanation of benefits (EOB) this month, her total for her miscarriage treatment came to $5,584, and she has to pay $1,369.57 out of pocket. The fact that women may have to "pay" for miscarriages wasn't something that crossed Faville's mind before she found herself in that situation.
| Description of Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Miscarriage Treatment Bill | $5,584.00 |
| Insurance Deductible | $1,000.00 |
| Total Out-of-Pocket Expense | $1,369.57 |
| Potential Total Price Tag (High End) | $15,000.00 |
"It wasn’t something that necessarily blindsided me, but it was another thing to have to deal with as you’re moving forward in your process of grief," she tells SELF. Thankfully, she worked out a payment plan, and she'll be able to pay her bill off over the next six months. But she started thinking about other people who might not have that luxury. Faville says, "I kept thinking about people who are so financially strained that [the cost of a miscarriage] could make them lose their house or their apartment or their car or transportation."
Why Medical Expenses Add Up Fast
Faville's situation is far from uncommon. According to the American Pregnancy Association, 10 to 25 percent of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in miscarriage. Not all miscarriages require surgical treatment, but any surgical treatment costs money. Lauren Streicher, M.D., an associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, notes that "When you have a D&C, it’s like any other surgical procedure."
The costs include several factors:
- A facility fee for where you have the procedure
- Fees for the doctor to do the procedure
- Fees for the anesthesiologist to give you anesthesia
- Fees for pathology to look at the tissue
Dr. Streicher explains, "The costs add up very fast. It's not unusual for a 'simple D&C' for a miscarriage to have a total price tag of $15,000." She notes that the price can vary from hospital to hospital and depending on a woman's medical situation. "Women have issues that men do not have that are expensive. Whether it’s an abnormal Pap test that requires colposcopy and biopsy or whether it’s a miscarriage from a desired pregnancy, this stuff is all expensive. That’s the bottom line."
The Importance of Healthcare Access
Faville shared a photo of her EOB on Facebook because she wanted to get people thinking about yet another expensive medical cost women endure, and yet another reason why insurance is so important. Dr. Streicher says these high medical costs are especially relevant now as legislators actively work to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA works to provide affordable health insurance to Americans. If the act is repealed without a replacement, at least 18 million Americans could potentially lose health insurance. Without insurance, many women would have to pay even more out of pocket for things like miscarriage treatment. "These medical procedures are expensive, and if we have the Affordable Care Act disappear, then this is going to be an enormous burden beyond what we’ve already seen," Dr. Streicher says.