One of Precept’s employees recently shared the hospital bill from a family member’s delivery at a local hospital. The cost of a 5-day stay:
Room: 5 days at $5.50 each $27.50
Nursery: 5 days at $1.00 $ 5.00
Delivery room charge $10.00
Lab fees $ 5.00
Drugs and medical supplies $ 3.00
TOTAL $46.50
They got $13.50 back from their initial $60.00 deposit. And that was for a hospital stay that exceeded recommended length-of-stay guidelines.
The date? December 16th, 1942. Most people don’t know it, but before World War 2, hospitals relied on charitable donations to survive, and one third of physicians had incomes below the poverty level. Even so, people complained about hospital costs and physician fees.
The cost today? About $3,000, depending on insurance contracts. And that’s for a 2-day stay. We’re still complaining.
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