What's the cost of valve surgery?

[offwego]

I was able to log onto NYU and see my account..I see the hospital charged the insurance company about $130,000 for the surgery and was paid or expecting payment of $118,000.

I'm not 100% certain but if I remember correctly my minimally invasive surgery was only $28,000 in 2003...is that possible?

Luckily my insurance picked up all the costs other than the private room..

 

[Julian]

My insurance company was billed $215,309.94 and in the end the hospital got paid $151,942.97. My responsibility was $500.00, but because I had the surgery where I work I didn't even have to pay that. So yes, I paid nothing out of pocket for a 2nd chance at life. FYI this was for AVR W/GRAFT + PACEMAKER AND A 8 DAY HOSPITAL STAY.

 

[DanielB]

I see the claim into my insurance company from the hospital for my AVR, inlcuding (10) days in the hospital (due to heart block issues) came to $188,000. I'm still waiting for billing for my portion, but it should be under $1,500.

Dan

 

[Jkm7]

Insurance companies and hospitals reach agreements as to how much each procedure will cost. It varies, of course, by hosptal, part of the country (U.S.) and insurer.

I was so fortunate our insurance paid in full for both my OHS and we received no bills.

 

[Paleowoman]

I'm in the UK and I get private medical insurance (instead of having to use the NHS) - I know that at the moment the cost of aortic valve replacement privately here is approximately £48,000 (about $76,000) - that's the hospital fee with private room for 10 days, the surgeon's fee, the operating room fees, etc, etc, everything in other words.

Anne

 

[ElectLive]

The billed to insurance total for mine was around $230,000 including the pre-surgery cath, post-surgery pacemaker, and 7 day stay. Thank goodness for out of pocket maximum's on insurance plans. I had $1,800 or so I was responsible for before I hit the out of pocket, not pocket change by any means, but easily the best bang for the buck I've ever gotten. I was always curious about the cost for just the valve itself...meant to try and track that down, but never got around to it.

 

[bradvo]

I've been curious as well to what the surgery charge was. I been looking at my claims for my insurance and still see no charge for the valve and by-pass along with hospital stay.
As far as test go I've had the cath scan, CT scan, echo scan, multiple x-rays, blood test, pulmonary scans etc etc.

My out of pocket expense is 3, 500..I still feel I got a heck of a deal to what ever this final cost will come in at.

Brad

 

[offwego]

I can't believe my surgery is by far the least expensive so far (other than England)...I guess it is cheaper to fix a valve than replace it? Clearly there is no cost of the actual valve...I'm also curious what those cost...I know someone in the business and I'll ask...My complete guess is $25,000...no basis for that guess...lol..

My only out of pocket was $1100 for the private room...a bargain..They didn't charge me extra to wake me up at 4am for my sleeping pill either!

 

[kfay]

I can't believe my surgery is by far the least expensive so far (other than England)...I guess it is cheaper to fix a valve than replace it? Clearly there is no cost of the actual valve...I'm also curious what those cost...I know someone in the business and I'll ask...My complete guess is $25,000...no basis for that guess...lol..

My only out of pocket was $1100 for the private room...a bargain..They didn't charge me extra to wake me up at 4am for my sleeping pill either!

I'd have to wonder if your recollection of this was correct. Maybe that $25,000 charge was just the surgeon's fee. My first surgery in 1980, not valve replacement) was $80,000.

Kim

 

[OldManEmu]

I find it interesting that some of the above posts include a pacemaker and are not that much difference in percentage terms than a simple VR.
In Australia the cost of the valve is 5k-6k depending on the make and model.
Pacemakers are the expensive item they are listed from 45k up depending on the make and model.
Medicare covers all costs in the public health system.

 

[offwego]

I'd have to wonder if your recollection of this was correct. Maybe that $25,000 charge was just the surgeon's fee. My first surgery in 1980, not valve replacement) was $80,000.

Kim

I tend to think you are correct...I just don't know for sure...

 

[Luana]

I'd have to wonder if your recollection of this was correct. Maybe that $25,000 charge was just the surgeon's fee. My first surgery in 1980, not valve replacement) was $80,000.
Kim

That sounds high for surgeon's fee. Mine was listed at $6,000 two years ago. Total hospital bill was just a hair under $200,000.

 

[Jen]

My hosp. billed 133k and some change, surgeon was 6500, anestesiologist was 7600. I was in for 6 days. Ins. paid out around 100k after negotiations, I had to pay 0.00. This was June of this year in Charlotte NC. So thankful for my insurance.

 

[offwego]

I guess even with all of our problems with health care.....for those of us lucky to have insurance, it seems to really work well (as expected) for hospital and doctor care.

I was so impressed I could get an appointment with one of the top surgeons in the country within two weeks! It was the same experience 8 years ago...I called out of the blue, got an appointment and two weeks later...had the surgery,...

 

[Paleowoman]

Valve surgery costs something even if you're getting it under the NHS in the UK, though I've no idea what it costs to the NHS, but a consultant told me last month that it was "expensive, about £40,000" ($63,000) ! So my private medical insurance only gets charged a few thousand more it seems.

What is the real cost of valve surgery ? Before profit ?

Anne

 

[D.C.]

Total bills somewhere close to $130,000 in 2008, but I had to go back into the hospital after a week out for another week. Had TIA 1 week out of hospital.

 

[drivetopless]

My 5 day hospitalization for AVR via mini-sternotomy was $110,000. Insurance adjusted the payment to $87K. I paid $300 outof pocket (not counting meds/copays).

My 10 day hospitalization for afib 2 weeks later was $25,000. I paid $300 out of pocket.

A bargain.

 

[John & Joann]

I guess Joann won the BINGO game. Her bill was well over $400,000 for everything. The insurance negotiated the amount lower. Our payment was $500. We have good insurance, but pay a significant amount in addition to the employer retirement contribution and our monthly payments to Medicare.
She was in surgery for 12 hrs./ pump for 6 hrs. 3 bypass, 2 new valves, cath, and 16 days in the hospital. She had excellent care at Cleveland Clinic and one of the best surgeons in the world. The entire surgery team works as a team to support the doctor. You don't want a procedure done where they all need to read the manual or call customer support for directions.

 

[Bill B]

Who knows what it really cost. That's the problem with the US's complicated 3rd party insurance system which probably inflates cost 100%. In my case, the hospital "billed" about $300K for everything for my AVR + aorta graft with 7 days in the hospital. In theory that's what they would try to collect from an uninsured party. My health plan had a "contracted" rate with this hospital and paid out less than $100K. There was no debate at all. The hospital knew in advance what they would collect. Still, that's a LOT of money and far more than actual cost. The surgeon got $8K. The anesthesiologist somewhat less. My insurance caps our family's max annual payout at $3K so that's what we paid that year (on top of monthly premiums) which included a fair amount of other care. Since I had never been hospitalized before in 62 years and rarely visited a doctor, I figure the insurance company has still made a good profit from all of our premiums over the years.

 

[wcasey5]

this is really really weird. I had my aortic valve replaced in 2008. Total hospital cost for 4 days was $32,000 , Surgeon fee was around $6,000. Some other crap charges involved as well. My out of pocked was around $4,000. I consider this a total rip off as I am Canadian and moved to the United States. In Canada the cost would be Zero. My surgery was done in Baltimore, and from what I understand Maryland has control over hospital costs. I am really really thankful to my surgeon, he was very skilled in deserved whatever he was paid, along with the hospital staff, but I consider my out of pocket cost totally unreasonable.