Britons left stunned after hearing about the cost of healthcare in the US, including the price of an ambulance

Healthcare in the United States is notoriously expensive; it costs so much that people all over the world are shocked.

A TikTok from user @joeukshows showed how surprised Brits were when they discovered the price tag on calling an ambulance, giving birth and even holding your own baby after a caesarean section.

One of the first topics Joe suggests to passersby is the cost of an ambulance if someone needs one to be transported to the hospital.

One man said matter-of-factly, “Zero payment. Zero payment.’

However, Joe reveals that the actual cost was around $2,500, causing a jaw-dropping reaction.

The average price of an ambulance in the US varies greatly depending on the state and the type of care needed.

Better care states that the average price without insurance can range from $500 to more than $3,500.

And unlike the US, ambulances across the pond in Britain are free for anyone who is seriously ill.

A video shows a handful of pedestrians in Britain being asked to guess how many different medical services there are across the pond in the US

The service is covered by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) universal healthcare plan and is funded by taxes.

Americans, on the other hand, must either pay for health insurance or pay thousands out of pocket to receive treatment and health care.

This makes the US one of the few countries that does not provide universal healthcare to its citizens.

And even though America spends about double what its peers spend on healthcare for its citizens, the country still has the highest maternal mortality rate and citizens live shorter lives, suffer from chronic diseases and die by suicide.

The high cost of medical transportation has led sick Americans to avoid calling 911 for help, fearing unexpected bills for ambulance rides, which are often not covered by insurance.

A YouGov.from 2024 poll Of the 47 percent of Americans who have ever needed an ambulance, it appears that 23 percent avoided calling one because of the high cost.

Instead, people are turning to friends, driving themselves, or using ride-hailing services like Ubers and taxis to travel to the hospital for the care they need — in some cases, people have skipped care altogether because of the cost.

Then in the TikTok, Joe asked British passersby what they think it costs to have a baby in the US.

One young man guesses at “$50,000” because he thinks his estimate is “ridiculous,” while another woman guesses somewhere between $100 and $200.

When told that the average is actually around $10,000, [and] it could be up to $30,000,” both are shocked.

Total U.S. health care spending — including what the government, insurance companies and individuals pay for — grew above $4.3 trillion in 2021, nearly a fifth of the country’s annual GDP and the highest among peers.

The woman asks, ‘What? $10,000 for a baby… is that the same everywhere? That’s crazy… no thanks.’

In Britain, the NHS covers pregnancy and birth, including scans, antenatal care, the birth itself and postnatal care.

This compares to the US, where childbirth costs an average of $18,865, including prenatal care, pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care, according to the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Health System Tracker.

If someone has insurance, it will often cover most of these costs, but for those who are uninsured, they will be responsible for the entire bill.

The type of birth can also have a major impact on the costs, as well as the insurance company ValuePenguin reveals that the average cost of a vaginal birth is $13,024, including costs such as facility fees and doctor fees.

Meanwhile, a C-section is more expensive, costing an average of $22,646 overall.

Despite the high costs, the US still has the highest maternal mortality rate, with 24 new mothers dying per 100,000 babies born, almost two and a half times the average in other wealthy countries.

Next, Joe discusses one of the more unusual costs new mothers incur.

In the US, some hospitals charge for skin-to-skin contact between a mother and a newborn immediately after a cesarean section due to the extra labor required to ensure patient safety.

In 2016, a father went viral after posting a photo of his bill from Utah Valley Hospital on Reddit, revealing that his wife had to pay $39.35 to hold their baby after a C-section.

A British woman was shocked to learn that the average cost of childbirth in the US is about $10,000

Another British woman was surprised that Americans have to pay to hold their babies immediately after giving birth by caesarean section

In the TikTok, a British woman is shocked to hear about this charge and says: ‘Do you have to pay for that? To hold my own child that I carry in my womb?’

Regarding prescription drug prices, a hot topic in the US, the interviewer asks a man on the street to guess the price of two life-saving EpiPens.

The spring-loaded syringes, which deliver a shot of adrenaline to prevent people going into anaphylactic shock from an allergic reaction, cost just under $13 in Britain with an NHS prescription.

That means two pens would cost about $25.

However, the man interviewed in Tiktok is left speechless when he learns that two EpiPens cost $600 in the US.

Finally, a woman exclaimed, “So if you’re poor [in the US]you’re dead.’