July 30, 2010, Newsletter Issue #41: 1. Consider The Cost Of The Disease

Tip of the Week

-Angioplasty (balloon and sometimes use of a stent) for a closed artery plus follow-up care is estimated at $5344 in annual costs; if a 2nd angioplasty is needed, the cost is $2700 per vessel (if you have 3 arteries re-opened, the cost is 3 x $2700 or $8100. If you need bypass surgery after angioplasty, the cost is $26,186 (Source: American Heart Association)
-The annual total healthcare costs of a person with diabetes in 2002 was $13,243, compared with the total healthcare costs of a person without diabetes of $2560.00
-Men with diabetes have 3.1 more lost workdays and 7.9 more bed days than men without diabetes. Women with diabetes have 0.6 more lost workdays and 8.1 more bed days. The average per day wages earned by people with diabetes is $168.00/day. So, men with diabetes lose 3.1 x $168.= $520.80 due to diabetes-related health; women lose .6 x $168 – 100.80. And this does not include bed days. (Source: Diabetes Journal)
-Direct costs of care in 2002 for a person with diabetes, in one year, may include these direct costs of diabetes in 2002 dollars. (Source: Diabetes Journal):
Hospital day= $2385
Physician office visit= $160
ER visit= $452
Ambulance= $247
Hospital outpatient center or surgery center= $561
Total= $3805

-Asthma that is not well-managed can result in the following costs (Source: Kintera.org):
Total hospital care (incl inpatient, ER, outpatient)= $3600
Physician services= $2900
Prescriptions= $5000
Total= $11,500

Now that you have some estimates as to costs of conditions, you can begin to fill in the last worksheet, which wraps all the concepts together.

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