4 ms·

Going rate for a baby delivery in the hospital was around ten thousand dollars last time I checked. I bet medicaid would absorb it but if you fall between dirt

by ohiovr 9y ago

Going rate for a baby delivery in the hospital was around ten thousand dollars last time I checked. I bet medicaid would absorb it but if you fall between dirt poor and middle class it sounds cripling.

api 9y ago
That's a one time expense and is not that high for most people. Real estate is much worse.
devereaux 9y ago
I am surprised more families are not planning a trip abroad around the delivery date, to benefit from cheaper healthcare of a comparable quality + free extra citizenship for their kid. The market exists in other countries: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-island-where-chinese-mothers-deliver-american-babies-1513852203 https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-island-where-chinese-mother... I am surprised american parents don't hedge their bets by getting a EU citizenship for their kid. If anything, the kid may benefit from free healthcare if they get something bad as an adult!
- smnrchrds 9y ago
  Few countries have unrestricted jus soli (birthright citizenship). Among those, only US and Canada are desirable countries of citizenship. EU countries who have any sort of jus soli have severely restricted it. See some examples: Germany: Children born on or after 1 January 2000 to non-German parents acquire German citizenship at birth, if at least one parent has a permanent residence permit (and had this status for at least three years) and the parent was residing in Germany for at least eight years. France: Children born in France (including overseas territories) to at least one foreign parent who is also born in France automatically acquire French citizenship at birth. Portugal: A child born in Portuguese territory to who does not possess another nationality is a Portuguese citizen. Also, a person born to foreign parents who were not serving their respective States at the time of birth is a Portuguese citizen if the person declares that they want to be Portuguese and provided that one of the parents has legally resided in Portugal for at least five years at the time of birth. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli
  - devereaux 9y ago
    So Portugal would work.
    - smnrchrds 9y ago
      As long as you are able to get legal residence in Portugal and willing to spend five years there prior to having a child, sure.
      - devereaux 9y ago
        I thought the child was to not have another nationality before, then I realized it was about the parent.
  - ebalit 9y ago
    You miss the second part for France: "Children born to foreign parents may request citizenship depending on their age and length of residence." The rule is as complex as the French law can be... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_nationality_law#French_citizenship_by_birth_in_France_or_its_overseas_territories https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_nationality_law#French_... But basically, children born to foreign parents become French at their majority if they lived most of their childhood in France.
- virmundi 9y ago
  Which European countries do this? This is more a new world thing as far as I know. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli
- r00fus 9y ago
  Traveling in the third trimester isn't comfortable or recommended. Premature mile high birth sounds like something people are wary of.
  - zxcmx 9y ago
    Most airlines won't let you fly without a medical certificate if you look "quite" pregnant (>28 weeks you need documentation). If you are very close to term, they won't let you fly at all. Example policies: http://www.etihad.com/en-au/experience-etihad/special-assistance/expectant-mothers/ http://www.etihad.com/en-au/experience-etihad/special-assist... http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/help/articles/pregnancy-and-air-travel http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/help/articles/pregnancy-and-air...
- surfmike 9y ago
  If you could afford a trip like that, you probably already have health insurance in the US.
stevenwoo 9y ago
In the USA it's averaging 30,000/50,000 depending upon if it's natural delivery or Caesarian, if you trust the numbers from a childbirth advocacy group. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/16/why-does-it-cost-32093-just-to-give-birth-in-america https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/16/why-does-it-...
nshelly 9y ago
Child care is $20,000 to $30,000 per year in NYC and SF and many cities, the cost of the child's health care insurance is around $300-400 for a low deductible plan, and the extra rent, is around $1,200 for an additional bedroom, so the fixed costs are at least $40,000 per year, or one partner needs to drop out of the workforce which has its own costs. The birth itself is equivalent to the cost of only a few months of the child's life. You have to really want children to pull it off in American cities today. I think the only viable option here if we want children (and their parents) in cities -- which would require buy-in from the older generation -- is to raise property / land taxes and use this to afford better schools and pre-K (so you're only on the hook for the first few years of the child's life), and to build more housing of course. https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&country2=United+States&city1=New+York%2C+NY&city2=San+Francisco%2C+CA https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?cou...

by ohiovr 9y ago

api 9y ago

That's a one time expense and is not that high for most people. Real estate is much worse.

devereaux 9y ago

I am surprised more families are not planning a trip abroad around the delivery date, to benefit from cheaper healthcare of a comparable quality + free extra citizenship for their kid. The market exists in other countries: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-island-where-chinese-mothers-deliver-american-babies-1513852203 https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-island-where-chinese-mother... I am surprised american parents don't hedge their bets by getting a EU citizenship for their kid. If anything, the kid may benefit from free healthcare if they get something bad as an adult!

smnrchrds 9y ago
Few countries have unrestricted jus soli (birthright citizenship). Among those, only US and Canada are desirable countries of citizenship. EU countries who have any sort of jus soli have severely restricted it. See some examples: Germany: Children born on or after 1 January 2000 to non-German parents acquire German citizenship at birth, if at least one parent has a permanent residence permit (and had this status for at least three years) and the parent was residing in Germany for at least eight years. France: Children born in France (including overseas territories) to at least one foreign parent who is also born in France automatically acquire French citizenship at birth. Portugal: A child born in Portuguese territory to who does not possess another nationality is a Portuguese citizen. Also, a person born to foreign parents who were not serving their respective States at the time of birth is a Portuguese citizen if the person declares that they want to be Portuguese and provided that one of the parents has legally resided in Portugal for at least five years at the time of birth. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli
- devereaux 9y ago
  So Portugal would work.
  - smnrchrds 9y ago
    As long as you are able to get legal residence in Portugal and willing to spend five years there prior to having a child, sure.
    - devereaux 9y ago
      I thought the child was to not have another nationality before, then I realized it was about the parent.
- ebalit 9y ago
  You miss the second part for France: "Children born to foreign parents may request citizenship depending on their age and length of residence." The rule is as complex as the French law can be... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_nationality_law#French_citizenship_by_birth_in_France_or_its_overseas_territories https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_nationality_law#French_... But basically, children born to foreign parents become French at their majority if they lived most of their childhood in France.
virmundi 9y ago
Which European countries do this? This is more a new world thing as far as I know. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli
r00fus 9y ago
Traveling in the third trimester isn't comfortable or recommended. Premature mile high birth sounds like something people are wary of.
- zxcmx 9y ago
  Most airlines won't let you fly without a medical certificate if you look "quite" pregnant (>28 weeks you need documentation). If you are very close to term, they won't let you fly at all. Example policies: http://www.etihad.com/en-au/experience-etihad/special-assistance/expectant-mothers/ http://www.etihad.com/en-au/experience-etihad/special-assist... http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/help/articles/pregnancy-and-air-travel http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/help/articles/pregnancy-and-air...
surfmike 9y ago
If you could afford a trip like that, you probably already have health insurance in the US.

stevenwoo 9y ago

In the USA it's averaging 30,000/50,000 depending upon if it's natural delivery or Caesarian, if you trust the numbers from a childbirth advocacy group. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/16/why-does-it-cost-32093-just-to-give-birth-in-america https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/16/why-does-it-...

nshelly 9y ago

Child care is $20,000 to $30,000 per year in NYC and SF and many cities, the cost of the child's health care insurance is around $300-400 for a low deductible plan, and the extra rent, is around $1,200 for an additional bedroom, so the fixed costs are at least $40,000 per year, or one partner needs to drop out of the workforce which has its own costs. The birth itself is equivalent to the cost of only a few months of the child's life. You have to really want children to pull it off in American cities today. I think the only viable option here if we want children (and their parents) in cities -- which would require buy-in from the older generation -- is to raise property / land taxes and use this to afford better schools and pre-K (so you're only on the hook for the first few years of the child's life), and to build more housing of course. https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&country2=United+States&city1=New+York%2C+NY&city2=San+Francisco%2C+CA https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?cou...