For years, medical experts have said that C-sections — a surgical procedure in which a doctor makes an incision in the mother’s abdomen and uterus to remove the baby — were being done too often, yet the rates kept climbing.
In 2014, however, delivery hospitals in California reduced the number of C-sections performed by more than 1,000 compared with 2013, according to a Times analysis of new data.
What’s changed recently, some experts say, is the nature of the healthcare system, which focuses increasingly on eliminating unnecessary expenses. In the era of the Affordable Care Act and its emphasis on low-cost medical care, C-sections — which cost more than vaginal deliveries — have become a sticking point for hospitals and a target for the people paying the bills.
Read Full Article »