Man creates online stir after posting $40 hospital bill for ‘skin-to-skin’ contact with his newborn baby
The fee technically wasn’t for Ryan Grassley to hold his baby, but to have an additional nurse present in the hospital recovery room
Ryan Grassley discovered a perplexing charge on a hospital bill for the recent birth of his son: nearly US$40 for “skin to skin” contact after his wife gave birth via caesarean section.
Amused by the bill, he posted a picture of it on Reddit this week and commented: “I had to pay $39.35 to hold my baby after he was born.”
A lot of people like to be shocked and outraged by things. Today, it happened to be my hospital bill
The post set off a flurry of outrage and consternation on Reddit. Nearly 12,000 people commented, with many sharing their own stories of what they said were bizarre or ridiculous medical charges.
“A lot of people like to be shocked and outraged by things,” Grassley said in an interview on Wednesday. “Today, it happened to be my hospital bill.”
The fee technically wasn’t for Grassley to hold his baby, but to have an additional nurse present in the hospital recovery room for C-section patients to ensure the mother and baby were safe, said Janet Frank, spokeswoman for Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, Utah.
“There is never a charge for a patient to hold their baby,” Frank said.