Nurse watches a video of the doctors missing a baby’s birth and then wonders what goes on the bill if the doctor wasn’t there

A. Paige Van-De-Cruize has plenty of healthcare experience as a nurse, but she admits she has never worked in labor and delivery. So when she came across a video of a birth that happened without a doctor in the room, she stitched it on Instagram (thesoulofmy_pen) and TikTok (thebeholderofbeauty) with a question. In a post that has drawn nearly 1 million views across both platforms, she asked what happens to the hospital bill when the doctor isn’t actually there for the birth.

The original clip, shared by itsrijen, shows a husband in a labor room delivering his own child while a nurse scrambles to gather supplies. At the end, the medical team rushes in, only to stop, visibly surprised. Afterward, Van-De-Cruize told viewers that her understanding is that billing covers “services rendered in a healthcare setting,” including the use of a room and other services.

She noted that a major reason for going to the hospital is having an OB there to deliver the baby. She questioned whether patients should be charged for a service they essentially performed themselves, asking, “Does that affect insurance? Does that affect the billing?”

Commenters shared their own surprise-delivery bills

Many commenters described their own hospital bills and unexpected deliveries. One user said that after her husband delivered their first baby, she “had them remove the charges for the doctor,” adding, “we ain’t paying for services NOT rendered.” A commenter who said they work in medical coding and billing explained that it would affect the bill only “if it is documented that the doctor was NOT present.”

A few users who work in insurance said the bill would still include the provider’s fee, since even if the doctor missed the delivery, they would charge for time spent on aftercare. On TikTok, an EMT said they once delivered a baby in an ambulance, but the doctor’s name still went on the birth certificate “as having been present at birth.”

Some users were more cynical about the cost of health care. One person joked that the hospital would probably bill parents a “Self service” fee for delivering their own baby.

CareRoute explains that the federal No Surprises Act protects patients from balance billing for services like anesthesiology, radiology, and lab work, even if the provider is out of network at an in-network facility. However, billing errors, such as duplicate charges or a baby being billed under the wrong family member, still happen and must be disputed separately.

CareRoute advises parents to always request a fully itemized bill and compare it with the Explanation of Benefits from their insurer. If a provider was not present or a charge seems wrong, patients can cite the relevant laws or request corrected claims so they are not paying for services that never took place.

Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify the circumstances of the birth shown in itsrijen’s clip, as this account comes solely from social media posts.