I'm not arguing it's cheaper to give birth in America, but it doesn't seem like this article makes fair comparisons. What an insurance company or hospital charg

I'm not arguing it's cheaper to give birth in America, but it doesn't seem like this article makes fair comparisons. What an insurance company or hospital charges includes some amount of mark-up, so is more than just the "cost." Likewise, in countries with socialized medicine, the hospital might charge the patient nothing, but it _cost_ someone something (people's time, depreciation on equipment, electricity, and lots of other things). Adjusting for these probably doesn't make everything come out the same, but it would make the claims less sensational.