The high price of healthcare has put a lot of stress on individuals and the healthcare system, as they struggle to come up with the money to cover some of today’s most expensive procedures.
Fortunately, insurance companies and government programs cover a portion of the expenses for patients. But for those without health insurance, the stress is even greater, making the rising cost of health care a big concern for everyone involved.
With cost considerations for the pre-operation assessments, hospital admission, the procedure, post-operation care and follow-up appointments, medical procedures are by no means easy on the wallet.
Take a look at this list of the expensive medical procedures to see just how much health care can costs.
The 10 Most Expensive Medical Procedures
1. Intestine Transplant: $1,206,000
Intestinal transplants are done to replace dead tissue with healthy tissue from a donor and are sometimes combined with a liver transplant, making it one of the most expensive surgical procedures out there. Nearly $800,000 of this total cost goes toward hospital administration and admissions fees, while another $150,000 are used up in the days following the surgery and while the patient is in recovery.
2. Heart-Lung Transplant: $1,148,400
This rare and complex procedure replaces both vital organs during one surgery. The bulk of this cost, almost $800,000, is attributed to hospital admissions and procedures. The 180 days post-surgery makes up the next most expensive part of this procedure, accounting for nearly $170,000.
3. Heart Transplant: $997,700
A heart transplant is a high-risk surgery that takes a patient about 6 months to reach full recovery. Just below the $1 million mark, this surgery takes a lot of preparation to ensure a healthy and best-match donor organ, as well as extensive recovery and follow-up procedures to ensure the patient’s prolonged health.
4. Bone Marrow Transplant: $676,800 Allogeneic; $300,400 for Autologous
Depending on the type of bone marrow transplant required, surgery may or may not need to be performed. In most cases, stem cells are delivered into the bloodstream through a tube called a central venous catheter, in the same fashion as a blood transfusion. Expenses stack up when considering donor research and harvesting fees, testing, level of insurance coverage, and more.
5. Lung Transplant: $797,200 for double, $561,200 for single
The process required for a lung transplant is often a long one. Long donor wait times, complex testing, the surgical procedure, as well as a long recovery time make for extended stays in hospitals, helping to increase the costs of this procedure.
6. Liver Transplant: $577,100
This is a very high-risk surgery and the criteria for eligibility is very strict. This lends to the high cost through extensive administrative and record expenses, along with the costs accrued for the surgery itself and the necessary hospital stay and recovery time afterward.
7. Open Heart Surgery: $324,000
Open heart surgery is often an urgent procedure that carries with it a lot of complications and follow-up appointments. Taking the surgery and its recovery period into consideration, the expenses for open heart surgery are very high.
8. Pancreas Transplant: $289,400
A transplant of the pancreas is a very long procedure and patients average a post-surgery stay in the hospital of about 21 days. As a result of the long stay, the physician charges and the possibility for a combined pancreas-kidney transplant, the totals for this surgery are one of the highest.
9. Kidney Transplant: $262,900
Expenses for this transplant procedure rack up quickly due to its intense preparation, high risk and extensive recovery period. Depending on the length of stay, expenses can pile up to nearly a quarter of a million dollars or more.
10. Tracheostomy: $205,000
While a tracheostomy itself is not inherently expensive, it is often associated with costly and extended hospital stays. Most patients who require this procedure are seriously ill individuals. They have extended stays within intensive care units post-operation, marking a significant rise in charges for this surgery.
