Vaginal delivery with prenatal and postpartum care in Houston, TX costs $2,207. Here's every hospital's price.

CPT 59400 is the obstetric "global package": routine prenatal visits, the vaginal delivery itself and the postpartum check-up, billed as one code by the obstetrician or midwife. When a hospital lists this code, the number usually reflects the professional package at a hospital-employed practice, not the hospital stay.

What the price covers, and what it does not

The global package covers the clinician's prenatal visits, attendance at the delivery and postpartum care. It does not include the hospital stay for mother and baby (billed as DRG 807 or similar), ultrasounds, laboratory tests, anesthesia (an epidural is billed by the anesthesiologist), the pediatrician's newborn care, or any complications. For a self-pay birth, add the hospital's DRG price to this package and ask about the rest.

Why prices vary

Obstetric packages range widely between practices. Hospital-employed practices, especially at academic centers, list higher prices; midwife-led practices and birth centers are usually lower. Many hospitals offer an all-inclusive self-pay maternity package that bundles the stay and the delivery; it is often the best deal for the uninsured.

Questions to ask

• What is the self-pay price for 59400, and what does the hospital stay (DRG 807) add?
• Is there an all-inclusive maternity package for self-pay patients?
• What are the anesthesia, ultrasound and newborn charges?