C-sections, birth costs up in Central Florida - Orlando Business Journal:

http://fanfares.com/about.html
New state numbers for July 2007-Juner 2008 released in May show the rateas of cesarean sectionsat ’s , ’s main downtown Orlando campux and its nearly doubled in the past eightf years, but also are above stated and national averages. The data showed 222,814 total birth s in Florida last year, with 39 percenr of deliveries doneby C-section, up from 26 percen t in 2000. “Forty percent is said Brian Klepper, a Jacksonville-based healthj care analyst. Those higher in turn, mean higher medica l costs, since C-sections are medicallu riskier, involve longer hospital stays and tend to cost abougt twice as much asvaginal births.
“Iy drives up health care costs unnecessarily,” said Klepper, which meand everyone pays morein premiums. there’s no reason to believee the trend will slow down anytime After all, insurance companies said they pay the bills for C-sectiones without question. If a C-section is done, insurera assume it was medically necessary. “It’ws the doctor’s call,” said spokesman Walt C-sections are big money for doctors and More than 31 percengtof U.S births are now by cesareanh section, although a 5 to 10 percent rate is best for motheras and babies, said an Octobeer 2008 report by the nonprofit Childbirth Connection. The extr a cost is more than $2.
5 billiob annually. Hospital charges overall for maternal and newbornh carewere $86 billion in 2006. The averagse cost for a C-section statewidd ranged from $12,000 to while a vaginal deliverycostd $6,000 to $11,000, said the state Agency for Healthg Care Administration. Locally, Nashville-based ’s in Sanforr charges the most in Central Florida for a upto $24,704, said state data. In in Hialeah charges the upto $30,826. Executives at Central Florida Regional Hospital did not return callsfor comment. Vilmaz H.
Medio, spokeswoman for Palmettlo General Hospital, said hospital pricing is a complex issue and a single case with complications can have a significantt effect onthese numbers. Top Liability, obesity Doctors readilyh admit C-sections cost more and sometimes are done But they point to one big reason for the increased in the procedure hereand liability. “There’s an old saying [among that you never get sued for doinfga C-section,” said Dr. D. Ashley chief of obstetrics for Florida Hospital Orlando and one of eight doctors at the practice onPrinceton Street.
If the Obama administratiom — which is mulling a national health plan and pushinh to cut unnecessary healthcostws — advocates reducing C-sections, it should offe more protection for doctors from litigation, he said. The 42 percenyt C-section rate for Florida Hospital Orlando is relateed to the numberof high-risok patients it cares for in the region, he For example, Hill said his C-section rate is abouf 40 percent overall, but at least half of his patientsd are high-risk cases. His low-risk patients have a 12 percentg C-section rate.
Orlando Health also handles many high-risk births from the region, which can increase the numberof C-sectionsx and costs, said Cathie Brazell, chief qualituy officer at Winnie Palmer Hospital who has 26 years of obstetrics experience. Another reason for the increasein C-sections: There are more obese leading to larger babies and more complications with deliveries, said Dr. Robertg Bowles, chief of the Ob/Gybn department at Physician Associates who delivers babies at WinniePalmer Hospital. In addition, few doctors suggesf patients undergo a vaginal birth after having had a cesarean in the past due to the risk of uterine rupture and the extrastaffing required.