Making Childbirth Free Would Backfire, Pass Mothers’ Right To Save Instead
In the United States, childbirth costs anywhere from a few thousand to more than a hundred thousand dollars, leaving many young families in medical debt immediately upon welcoming a child into the world. Yet well-intentioned federal proposals to reverse falling birth rates with “free childbirth” will worsen long-term health outcomes of mothers and children, while ballooning the cost of healthcare for everyone. There is a better way: Mothers’ Right to Save.
In June 2025, the House introduced a bill to “make childbirth free” by prohibiting private insurers’ cost-sharing for prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. Under this bill, families with private insurance would not have to pay anything out of pocket for the costs associated with childbirth. State-level versions modeled after the federal version will likely arise in the coming year.
Despite popular appeals to leverage “free” childbirth to improve birth rates, these plans still will not result in overall reduced costs. Insurance companies would simply shift the costs to everyone in the form of higher premiums and deductibles. So, the patient might not get a bill right after the birth, but everyone would be forced to pay higher rates for decades to come to make it appear free. Ironically, the greatest economic burden would fall on families since they comprise the largest demographic that pays for health insurance.
Beyond economic concerns, mothers could expect a significant increase in cesarean sections, which can be riskier and lead to worse long-term health outcomes for both mother and infant.
Though necessary in some circumstances, the World Health Organization indicates that C-section rates exceeding 10 percent do not improve overall maternal mortality or morbidity. Yet one-third of all babies in the U.S. are already born by C-section, and that number is increasing. This is partly because private insurance pays significantly more for C-sections than vaginal births. Removing cost-sharing entirely could financially incentivize needless interventions and, therefore, lead to an increase in C-sections.
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