Heart Attack Treatment Cost

Typical costs:

• According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, heart attack treatment works best when it's given right after symptoms[1] occur, and a patient experiencing an attack should be taken to the emergency room or transported there by ambulance.
• For patients without health insurance, an emergency room visit typically costs $150 -$3,000 or more, depending on the severity of the condition and what diagnostic tests and treatment are performed. For patients covered by health insurance, out-of-pocket cost for an emergency room visit typically consists of a copay, usually $50 -$150 or more, which often is waived if the patient is admitted to the hospital. Depending on the plan, costs might include coinsurance of 10% to 50%.
• In the ER, a doctor may administer a "super aspirin" such as clopidogrel (Plavix)[2] , which, according to Consumer Reports[3] typically costs $254 per month for one 75 mg pill per day. Or, an ER doctor may give the patient nitroglycerin tablets[4] , which typically cost $.20-$1.10 per pill.
• According to theAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality[5] , the average length of hospitalization and related costs for heart attack patients is 5.3 days at $21,500 per stay. Costs for patients with insurance may include a deductible, plus 10%-20% or more of the total bill, which could easily reach the yearly out-of-pocket maximum. Treatment[6] will vary depending on the severity of the condition and amount of heart damage present.
• Patients may be treated with a category of intravenous drugs known as thrombolytics[7] or clotbusters. According to a study[8] in the medical journal Stroke, the additional costs of thrombolysis (using medication to break up and dissolve blood clots) during the first hospitalization costs approximately $5,978 per patient. Doctors may administer other drugs, including intravenous or subcutaneous forms of the anti-coagulant heparin. According to the book "Hospital Medicine"[9] by Robert M. Wachter, Lee Goldman, and Harry Hollander, this can include Dalteparin (Fragmin)[10] , which typically costs $51 a day for 100 U/kg twice daily, and Enoxaparin (Lovenox)[11] which typically costs $55 a day for 1 mg/kg twice daily. Treatment may also include drugs called beta blockers[12] , which typically cost $6 -$170 per month depending on whether a generic or brand name drug is used, or statins[13] , which according to Consumer Reports[14] , cost $35- $200 or more a month.
• Other medical procedures that may be required include bypass?surgery (about?$70,000-$200,000); corrective?heart?surgery ($30,000-$200,000 or more);?and treatment with angioplasty?and stents?($11,000-$41,000?or more).

• According to the Mayo Clinic[15] an electrocardiogram, also known as an EKG or ECG, will be used to diagnose the condition.
• Additional tests may include a chest x-ray ($200-$400 or more), echocardiogram ($1,000-$3,000 or more) or an MRI ($1,000-$5,000 or more), among other things.
• According to the American Heart Association[16] , with proper care, healing of the heart muscle begins soon after a heart attack and takes about eight weeks.

• Following surgery, patients may require one or more sessions with a physical therapist ($50-$350 a session) to learn how to move without harming any present incisions and to learn exercises to aid recovery.

• Discount outlets such as Costco[17] and Walmart[18] often sell prescription and over-the-counter drugs at significant savings. Walmart, for example, has a prescription drug program[19] that includes certain generic drugs at commonly prescribed dosages.
• Many hospitals offer discounts of 30% or more to uninsured/cash-paying patients. At St. Joseph Hospital[20] in Orange, CA, for example, patients without health insurance may qualify for a 45% discount off billed charges. There is also an additional 10% discount if payment is made within 10 days of receiving a bill.

• The American Heart Association offers tools and resources[21] related to heart attacks.
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers a hospital comparison tool[22] that lists hospitals near a chosen zip code, how far away they are and whether they offer emergency service.

1.  www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/heartattack/signs.html
2.  www.drugs.com/plavix.html
3.  www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/Antiplatelets-2pagers-...
4.  circ.ahajournals.org/content/108/11/e78.full
5.  www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/projections/2012-02.pdf
6.  www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-attack/DS00094/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
7.  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007089.htm
8.  stroke.ahajournals.org/content/38/1/85.full.pdf
9.  www.amazon.com/Hospital-Medicine-Wachter/dp/0781747279
10.  www.rxlist.com/fragmin-drug.htm
11.  www.rxlist.com/lovenox-drug.htm
12.  www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/2pager_BetaBlockers.pdf
13.  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/statins.html
14.  www.consumerreports.org/health/best-buy-drugs/statins.htm
15.  www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-attack/DS00094/DSECTION=tests%2Dand%2Ddiagnosis
16.  www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/AboutHeartAttacks/About-Heart-Attack...
17.  www2.costco.com/Service/FeaturePage.aspx?ProductNo=11486072&srchKeyword=pharmacy
18.  www.walmart.com/cp/5431?povid=cat1070145-env172199-module051812-lLinkGNAV_PHARMACY...
19.  www.walmart.com/cp/1078664
20.  www.sjo.org/For-Patients/Your-Hospital-Bill/Self-Pay-Discount-Program.aspx
21.  www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/HeartAttackToolsResources/Heart-Atta...
22.  /www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/

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