People in poor rural towns still go to the hospital to give birth. They might have to travel a bit, but generally there’s a hospital that services a whole county.
Do they? It cost almost $20k to give birth in America. Do you think rural people have good insurance or can afford that. I know of three kids that were born at home with no medical aid. They couldn’t afford it.
They are on Medicaid and will absolutely report the births because it’s more government assistance, especially before age 5 when they can get WIC.
It’s actually easier to raise children if you’re poor because of the benefits cliffs but WIC in particular is actually very generous with the income limits. It only takes a couple kids (they don’t all have to be under five to count) to hit a cap that exceeeds local median wages.
Most of those county hospitals are publicly funded and do indigent care.
Maybe the rate of home births is higher in rural areas than urban ones, but having kids at home isn’t the norm. People just go into debt instead.
Source: I live in the rural South in an area serviced by a county hospital, know people in the county hospital maternity ward and administration, and my SO is from another rural area and knew people from their county hospital.
People in poor rural towns still go to the hospital to give birth. They might have to travel a bit, but generally there’s a hospital that services a whole county.
Do they? It cost almost $20k to give birth in America. Do you think rural people have good insurance or can afford that. I know of three kids that were born at home with no medical aid. They couldn’t afford it.
They are on Medicaid and will absolutely report the births because it’s more government assistance, especially before age 5 when they can get WIC.
It’s actually easier to raise children if you’re poor because of the benefits cliffs but WIC in particular is actually very generous with the income limits. It only takes a couple kids (they don’t all have to be under five to count) to hit a cap that exceeeds local median wages.
The same medicaid Trump and Musk cut, and Republican governments refused to extend subsidies for? Those same services?
Most of those county hospitals are publicly funded and do indigent care.
Maybe the rate of home births is higher in rural areas than urban ones, but having kids at home isn’t the norm. People just go into debt instead.
Source: I live in the rural South in an area serviced by a county hospital, know people in the county hospital maternity ward and administration, and my SO is from another rural area and knew people from their county hospital.
I guess both options aren’t mutually exclusive.