ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, June 2, 1996 TAG: 9606030130
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Expecting parents who want to check out childbirth prices and services at state hospitals have a new resource.
Five regional guides to obstetrical services have been prepared by Virginia Health Information, a nonprofit clearinghouse for health-care data, and the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.
The information is based on billing records and a survey of hospital obstetrical services that was conducted early last year.
``Obstetric care is the most frequent reason for hospital admissions in Virginia,'' said Dr. Barbara S. Brown, director of clinical information services at VHHA.
``This will be a reference for discussion,'' she said of the guides. `A patient can say to her physician, `What are my choices here?'''
More than 10 percent of all hospital admissions in the state are for the birth of a baby, Brown said.
The guides show that the average statewide charge for a vaginal delivery of a baby is $3,125. For a Caesarean delivery, it's $5,944.
The highest average charge for a normal vaginal delivery, $3,372, is in the central region that includes the Richmond area. The lowest is northwestern Virginia, with an average charge of $2,483.
Caesarean deliveries were most expensive in the southwestern region of the state, where the average charge is $6,389. The northwestern region was least expensive, with an average charge of $4,981.
Statewide, an average of nearly 23 percent of all babies were delivered by the Caesarean method, according to the guides. The rates ranged from 25.2 percent in the southwestern region to 21.6 percent in the eastern region.
The guides also include charts listing the size and level of services available at each hospital, facility information, outreach services and how much patients can expect to pay in out-of-pocket expenses.
LENGTH: Short : 44 linesby CNB