MW Here's what really happens if you don't pay your hospital bill after giving birth. (Ignore the 'advice' on TikTok.)

By Genna Contino

'Wtf are they going to do? Repo my baby?' one TikTok user asked

The hospital bill that comes after labor and delivery can be an unexpected financial burden. Here's why you shouldn't ignore that medical debt.

For new parents on cloud nine enjoying time with their baby after delivery, a hospital bill for thousands of dollars - even after insurance pays its share - can quickly bring them back down to earth.

It's not unusual for families to go into debt after giving birth. A survey about labor and delivery debt from pregnancy and parenting site What to Expect found that one-quarter of moms have gone into debt due to labor. Nearly half of women, 41%, reported that their prenatal and delivery costs were higher than they expected.

Medical debt has become a growing burden on Americans who are already dealing with broader affordability struggles and mounting household debt. One-third of the middle class cannot afford basic necessities, according to research from Brookings, a centrist think tank, and they're relying more on debt to pay for them. Household debt in America ballooned to $18.6 trillion in the third quarter of 2025.

For someone already buried in debt, a postdelivery hospital bill of thousands of dollars might seem too overwhelming to tackle - so they might choose to ignore it completely.

Read more: Americans are starting the new year with record debt. Here's how they can get it under control.

Some TikTok videos are suggesting people do just that. "Wtf are they going to do? Repo my baby?" one TikTok user said in a comment on a video from a user asking about people who don't pay their hospital bills after giving birth. "Had my son at 27wks, was in the [neonatal intensive care unit] for 4 months.. bill came at $1.2 million, honey we ain't paying that," another said.

The video garnered 3.8 million views and thousands of comments. Several other videos of new moms claiming to have not paid their hospital bill have gone viral as well.

Within the social-media conversation around neglected labor and delivery bills, misinformation thrives. Untrue claims flood comment sections alleging medical debt can't affect your credit. Some commenters assure others - wrongly - that a medical bill reported to a collections agency is a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a law to protect sensitive patient information.

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Rick Gundling, a policy expert at the Healthcare Financial Management Association, said he's aware of the social-media discourse suggesting it's OK to ignore birth bills - but the reality is, medical debt can lead to reduced credit scores, and even home foreclosures and personal bankruptcies in extreme cases. It can also damage relationships with healthcare providers, which can affect future health outcomes as a result.

"Ignoring a bill, that never makes them disappear," Gundling said.

How your unpaid labor and delivery bill can catch up to you

The average cost of pregnancy, birth and postpartum care is about $20,000, according to nonprofit health-policy research, polling and news organization KFF, with out-of-pocket costs after insurance totaling more than $2,700 - a significant financial burden for many American families.

"The birth of a child should be a joyful event focused on your growing family," said Allison Sesso, CEO of Undue Medical Debt, a debt-relief nonprofit and charity. "But for too many in this country, the significant costs associated with pregnancy, birth and infant care can transform this milestone into a source of financial distress."

The sticker shock that comes after giving birth is often due to a lack of insurance literacy, Gundling said. People often select the lowest monthly premium without realizing they lack the $2,500 cash on hand to meet the deductible.

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More than half of Americans don't have access to $1,000 to cover an emergency expense, a Bankrate report found, so a high deductible is out of reach for many.

"People read about deductibles, and many times it's not until you're in the hospital [that] you realize, 'Oh, is that what that means? I have to write a check now for $2,500? Oh, now it's real,'" Gundling said.

While some commenters on TikTok videos about skipping out on hospital bills claim that medical debt doesn't show up on your credit report, that's not true. Because a court overruled a Biden-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule that banned the practice of including medical debt on credit reports in July, not paying a medical bill can hurt your credit score.

Medical bills of more than $500 will appear on your credit report and negatively impact your score if your account is sold to collections and you don't pay off the debt within a year, according to Experian (UK:EXPN) (EXPGY). These unpaid collection accounts can remain on your credit report for seven years after becoming delinquent, effectively impacting your ability to qualify to buy a house, rent an apartment or get a car loan.

Read more: Why having four kids is a luxury most parents can't afford

HIPAA rules specifically allow healthcare providers to share your identifiable health information with debt collectors to obtain payment without your consent, according to the National Consumer Law Center. While collectors are limited to using only the minimum information necessary, they can verify your debt under federal law without violating your privacy rights - so claiming HIPAA rights to get your debt erased won't get you very far.

Ignoring a bill can also impact your relationship with your healthcare provider.

"Most people do want to pay their medical providers, especially in this situation of an OB/GYN. If you're going to have more kids or continue to see that provider, you want to maintain a good relationship with them," said Patricia Kelmar, senior director of healthcare campaigns at Public Interest Research Group. "But that means that you want to do your best to pay the correct bills, but also explain your financial situation and pay what you can."

I still can't afford my bill. What should I do?

There are still ways to get your bill lowered if it feels overwhelming:

-- Audit the charges: PIRG recommends opening the bill immediately to check for inaccuracies. Ensure you actually received every service listed. If the bill is vague, request an itemized receipt from the hospital.

-- Negotiate the self-pay rate: Even if the charges are accurate, call the billing department. If you don't have insurance or chose to pay out of pocket, ask for a self-pay discount. You can also ask what the hospital typically bills Medicare and request that lower rate.

-- Apply for charity care: Many hospitals are required to provide financial assistance to those under certain income thresholds. Organizations like Dollar For can help patients navigate the application process.

-- Set up a payment plan: If you don't qualify for aid, ask for a zero- or low-interest payment plan. Breaking a $3,000 bill into smaller monthly installments prevents the account from being sent to collections.

Read more: Was your health-insurance claim denied again? Maybe AI can help you.

As more Americans face affordability challenges, Gundling expects more hospitals to move to cash-on-delivery payment models for nonemergency births. This means finances would be discussed before the due date and collected upfront, rather than billed after the birth takes place.

Having these conversations early with your provider isn't a bad thing, Gundling noted.

"Unless it's an emergency C-section or something like that, it's known well ahead of time and you can plan for it," he said.

-Genna Contino

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January 23, 2026 13:57 ET (18:57 GMT)

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