October 05, 2016 - 11:00 AM
SPANISH FORK, Utah - The Latest on a hospital charging a mom nearly $40 to hold her baby after birth (all times local):
11:42 am.
Utah father Ryan Grassley discovered a perplexing charge on a hospital bill for the recent birth of his son: Nearly $40 for "skin to skin" contact after his wife gave birth via a cesarean section.
Amused by the bill, Grassley posted a picture of the bill on Reddit this week commenting that he was charged to hold his baby. That post set off a flurry of outrage and consternation on the website with many people sharing their own stories of bizarre medical charges.
Utah Valley Hospital spokeswoman Janet Frank says the fee wasn't for Grassley to hold his baby, but to have an additional nurse in the room for the c-section to ensure mom and baby were safe.
Grassley said Wednesday that he wasn't mad but just thought people would get a laugh.
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11:03 am.
The story of a hospital apparently charging a Utah mom nearly $40 to hold her baby after birth has gone viral after the family posted the delivery room bill online.
Ryan Grassley of Spanish Fork tells The Daily Herald (http://bit.ly/2cSMsG3 ) that he shared the bill Monday because he thought it was funny and not to start a "witch hunt" against the hospital. Utah Valley Hospital in Provo charged the family $39.35 for "skin to skin" contact with their son after a cesarean section on Sept. 4.
Hospital spokeswoman Janet Frank says she can't comment on a specific bill but that there is a charge associated with bringing an extra nurse into the operating room so an infant can remain with its mother after a C-section.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016