Woman Is Sharing Her $1,369.57 Miscarriage Bill to Show the Need For Affordable Healthcare
After losing her baby nine weeks into her pregnancy, the cost of a dilation and curettage procedure (D&C) was the last thing on Janie Faville's mind. However, after receiving a bill for $1,369.57 — despite the fact that she has what she considers to be "good health insurance" through her employer — Janie is sharing her experience in the hope that other women in the same situation will know that they're not alone.
"[The bill] wasn't something that necessarily blindsided me, but it was another thing to have to deal with as you're moving forward in your process of grief," Janie told Self. Although she was fortunate enough to set up a payment plan for her costs, she "kept thinking about people who are so financially strained that [the cost of a miscarriage] could make them lose their house or their apartment or their car or transportation. Or they would have to choose between that and food."
To illustrate how important the need for both affordable insurance and Planned Parenthood are, Janie shared a photo of her bill to Facebook on both her personal page and in the private Pantsuit Nation group. "Because people don't talk about it, I will," she captioned her photo. "This is how much a miscarriage costs with good insurance. THIS is why we need Planned Parenthood."
In a separate post to her personal Facebook, Janie shared the reach of her original post and mentioned how honored she is that she has been able to use her heartbreaking loss in a way that helps others.
For those of you who don't know, earlier this week Pantsuit Nation published a post I wrote regarding the cost of my miscarriage and the critical need to continue to defend the [Affordable Care Act] ACA and Planned Parenthood. As of today, the post has received over 10,000 likes and almost 800 comments. Many of the comments reflect a similar story of grief and loss compounded by financial burden.
As a true believer in the power of consciousness raising, I've chosen from the beginning to be open and honest so that those who have been or will be in my shoes one day don't have to feel alone in their pain and suffering. I have been honored to have had the opportunity to do just that.
"I hope women continue to be comfortable enough to share those stories not only on Pantsuit Nation, but also to their representatives," she said. "If we do repeal and replace the ACA, we need to keep the pieces of the ACA that make delivering a child — either a miscarriage or a live birth — affordable and realistic for women."