California Birth Report totals by Birth Characteristics to inform the public, stakeholders, and researchers.

The DHCS Medi-Cal Birth Statistics tables present the descriptive statistics for California resident births that occurred in a hospital setting, including data on maternal characteristics, delivery methods, and select birth outcomes such as low birthweight and preterm delivery. Tables also include key comorbidities and health behaviors known to influence birth outcomes, such as hypertension, diabetes, substance use, pre-pregnancy weight, and smoking during pregnancy.

DHCS additionally presents birth statistics for women participating in the Medi-Cal Fee-For-Service (FFS) and managed care delivery systems, as well as births financed by private insurance, births financed by other public funding sources, and births among uninsured mothers. Medi-Cal data reflect mothers that were deemed as Medi-Cal certified eligible.

Note: Data for maternal comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, and substance use have been provisionally omitted among calendar years 2020-2022 for the time being.

The cost of giving birth through cesarean section in the United States varies significantly by state and insurance status. In 2023, the national median charge for a C-section delivery for those without insurance, or using out-of-network services, was 37,654 U.S. dollars, with New Jersey topping the list of the highest costs at 52,592 U.S. dollars.
Insurance impact on c-section costs Having insurance significantly reduces the financial burden of childbirth. The national median allowed value for insured, in-network C-sections was 16,943 U.S. dollars in 2023, less than half the cost for uninsured patients. Even with insurance, costs vary widely by state, with New Jersey again having the highest median allowed value at 26,900 U.S. dollars. The disparity between insured and uninsured costs underscores the importance of healthcare coverage for expectant mothers. C-section rates and reasons C-section rates in the United States remain higher than national targets. In 2022, the average C-section rate for low-risk first-time mothers was 25.2 percent, above the national target of 23.6 percent. Among all live births, the C-section rate was even higher, at 32.1 percent in 2022. A 2023 survey revealed that about a quarter of women who had C-sections in the past six months did so due to previous C-sections, while over half reported having emergency C-sections. (1448381, 1448748)