The Cruelest Bills: Losing a Baby in America

On top of fearing for their children’s lives, new parents of very fragile, very sick infants can face exorbitant hospital bills — even if they have insurance. Medical bills don’t go away if a child dies.

Kingsley Raspe's 8-month-old baby Sterling, who had a congenital heart defect and other disorders, died last year. Like more than 300,000 U.S. families each year, their infant required advanced medical attention in the newborn intensive care unit, quickly generating astronomical fees for highly specialized surgeries and round-the-clock care.