Idaho is among the most expensive states to give birth in. Here are the rankings
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- MoneyGeek study finds Idaho ranks eighth for out-of-pocket childbirth costs.
- Average Idaho out-of-pocket: $2,435 overall; $2,596 C-section; $2,295 vaginal.
- Rural provider shortages and Medicaid cuts risk access and higher financial strain.
Idaho is among the most expensive places in the country to give birth, a new study says.
Having a baby costs Idaho families over $2,435 out of pocket on average, after health insurance pays a large portion of the bill, according to a MoneyGeek report.
The research includes only people with employer-sponsored insurance, the primary source of coverage for people in the U.S. who are not elderly, poor or disabled. MoneyGeek’s report analyzed state-level data from 2020 from the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute, which maintains a database of Americans served by commercial health insurance.
The average Idaho out-of-pocket cost for a vaginal delivery was $2,295, the report said. The average for a cesarean section, which requires an incision of the abdominal and uterine walls for the baby to be delivered, was $2,596.
The amounts include pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care, assuming no complications. That’s on top of standard health insurance premiums that families already pay.
“Employer health benefits surveys show deductibles for covered workers have continued to rise,” MoneyGeek said in the report. “Families with high-deductible health plans or medically complex pregnancies often pay much more than the average, especially if complications extend the hospital stay or require additional procedures.”
New parents also spend money on diapers, formula, clothing, furniture and other baby items, which aren’t captured in the totals, the study noted.
High birth costs in low-cost states
Idaho ranked No. 8 among all states for the cost of giving birth.
Other states ordinarily associated with lower costs of living topped the list. Nebraska was No. 1, followed by Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Minnesota and Alaska. The average out-of-pocket cost of giving birth in Nebraska was $2,685.
Missing from the top 10 were some states that are notorious for having a high cost of living, such as California, New York, Hawaii and Massachusetts.
The study offered an explanation: “Nebraska’s higher costs likely reflect higher negotiated prices in a less competitive hospital market. Michigan’s unusually low costs suggest stronger price competition and lower average prices paid by employer plans, even with similar benefit designs.”
The cheapest place to give birth was Michigan, at $974.
MoneyGeek, a personal finance website, said state-by-state out-of-pocket costs are likely higher now than they were in 2020. The national average for both types of delivery then was $1,905. More recent national averages from 2021 to 2023 were $2,563 for vaginal deliveries and $3,071 for C-sections.
Insurance coverage in Idaho
In Idaho, as of 2022, about 48% of residents were covered by employer-sponsored insurance, according to data from the KFF, formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on national health issues. Major carriers in the state include Blue Cross of Idaho, Regence BlueShield, SelectHealth and PacificSource.
About 15% of the state’s population was enrolled in Medicare, and just over 7% were enrolled in the individual market, such as the state-based exchange called Your Health Idaho, according to KFF. About 8% of Idahoans did not have health insurance.
Sometimes an insured patient’s costs can be much higher even with a straighforward birth. The Idaho Statesman interviewed a Boise woman in 2025 who was charged $6,000 out of pocket after giving birth to her first baby in March. She had an uncomplicated delivery at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center and was insured by Select Health, who told her early in her pregnancy that it would cost about $3,000, absent any complications, of which she had none.
But Saint Alphonsus billed her for two separate room and board charges, even though she and her newborn shared the same room. When she questioned the duplicate fees, the hospital’s billing department assured her it was correct.
The bills for her and her baby each added up to about $3,000, her out-of-pocket maximum, according to insurance documents she shared with the Statesman.
Idaho prenatal care is slipping, group says
Idaho Voices for Children, a nonprofit that advocates for child welfare, says the state’s health care system for pregnant women, new moms, babies and kids has become increasingly strained. The group warned in a Jan. 21 news release that proposed cuts to Medicaid threaten to make matters worse.
About 30% of Idaho counties lack an obstetric provider or hospital offering labor and delivery care, forcing families to travel long distances, according to a fact sheet from the organization.
The group said that nearly one in five pregnant women did not receive “adequate” prenatal care in 2024, which could increase preventable risks like preterm birth and infant mortality.
One in eight women of childbearing age in Idaho also lack health insurance.
“These numbers tell a clear story,” Ivy Walker, policy associate at Idaho Voices for Children, said in the release. “Idaho’s families are losing local obstetrics services and struggling to find doctors for their kids. Cutting Medicaid now would push the system past its breaking point.”
Lawmakers had initially exempted K-12 education and Medicaid from potential cuts for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, the Statesman reported. But on Wednesday, the co-chairs of the state’s budget-setting committee called for public schools and Medicaid to look for ways to lower their costs, too.
