Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America and it’s also a major driver of health care costs.
A study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center found that newer medical devices are a major reason why heart care costs are rising dramatically. The researchers examined Medicare claims on patients between the ages of 65 and 84 with coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure from 2003 through 2006.
The study found that the inflation-adjusted cost of care for patients with heart disease rose from $12,160 in 2003 to $12,721 in 2006, a 4.6 percent increase. The average cost of care for heart failure patients rose from $17,153 in 2003 to $18,371 in 2006, a 7.1 percent inflation-adjusted increase.
While those numbers seem relatively modest, the impact of medical devices was significant and the cumulative cost of the new technology was huge.
The total cost increase attributed to new drug-coated stents – tiny wire scaffolds to prop open clogged heart arteries – was $3.3 billion. That was 73 percent of the total growth in the cost of caring for coronary artery disease among these Medicare beneficiaries.
And so-called implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) – devices that shock the hearts of patients back into correct rhythm – added $774 million to the cost of heart failure care among these Medicare patients. ICDs accounted for 15 percent of the total annual growth in the cost of heart failure among Medicare beneficiaries between 2003 and 2006, the study found.
The study was presented on Thursday, May 20 at the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke 2010 Scientific Sessions in Washington, D.C.
So what the new health care bill will do to save costs is to begin to STOP approving these great new devices and procedures for payment through Medicare. That will get those EVIL, oh so EVIL, medical devices makers, out to do something unheard of in the world and that is to help people live longer and make a profit. We must put an end to these EVIL medical device makers and the profit mongerers who run the companies, er, the entrepreneurs who are extending people's lives everyday.— Grill- No, there won't be "death panels." Uh uh. No way. "Sorry Mr. Jones -- the (death) panel has decided that we won't allow you to have the heart treatment you require to stay alive. Too expensive."— zorba
- How does this rate of price increase compare with overall inflation in healthcare. What about outcomes?— twg
- Not only is this inflation not enough, the Obama administration purposes to tax medical devices as part of the new health care law.— PhillyTru
- Dramatic increase in price of implanting these devices is a mystery to me; what justifies the cost increase? A family member had a near fatal heart attack at age sixty that ruptured the septum, took 13 days to stabilize him, had reconstructive surgery that saved his life, total of 23 days in the hospital. Approximately 1 year later he had an ICD implanted that cost 27,000. Three years later it was replaced (necessary every 3/5 yrs) at a cost of 56,000. Just last year a third replacement device cost 76,000. Over a period of 10 yrs what justified the dramatic cost increase? These three procedures were done at a major hospital in north central PA. The first one was inpatient 2 days at the hospital, the second and third were out patient procedures (aprox 9 hrs at hospital). The cost includes the device, lab tests, doctor, hospital facilities, etc. ~~~ In looking at the last bill May 2009 (Total 76,000), the hospital charged 61,000 for the 9 hrs 'outpatient' time, the balance was for the ICD corrective appliance (144.00), surgery (3000.00), anesthesia (1300.00) and the balance for labs & medications. ~~~ The first two were paid for by private insurance, the last by Medicare Advantage plan; Medicare currently pays for ICD's. In aprox 3/4 yrs he will need a new one, but will Medicare pay for it at a probable cost of +100,000 if history repeats itself. I must add that the ICD has improved the quality of his life by +100%, he is very active riding bicycle, working out, golfing, gardening, helps out when needed on the farm, paces himself, eats properly, see's his 3 doctors regularly, takes his medications as required, and now has a small landscaping business after working 40 years as a sheet metal fabrication welder. He is healthier now (71 yrs old) than he has been in many years. But as time goes on and he remains in excellent health, will Medicare deny needed ICD replacement, because of his age??— Toot44
Check Up is your guide to health and medicine across the Philadelphia region.
Brought to you by Philly.com/health and the Philadelphia Inquirer's Health and Science team, this blog covers major health events in our region and offers everything from personal health advice to an expert look at health reform.
Our guest bloggers include:
You can let us know what is on your mind at CheckUp@phillynews.com.
 | Follow on Twitter |
- Health News blogs:
- NYTimes.com: Well
- WSJ.com Health
- NPR.org Shots
- Inquirer Health & Science
- Medical Organizations
- Pennsylvania Medical Society
- Medical Society of New Jersey
- The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty
- Kaiser Health News
- American Medical Association
- Area hospitals
- Abington Memorial Hospital
- Aria Health
- The Chester County Hospital
- Cooper University Hospital
- Crozer-Keystone Health System
- Jefferson Health System
- Kennedy Health System
- Lourdes Health System
- Mercy Health System
- Penn Medicine
- St. Mary Medical Center
- Temple University Health System
- Tenet Healthcare
- Virtua
- New Jersey Hospital Association
- The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania
- Government agencies
- Pennsylvania Department of Health
- New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council
- Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- Medication and Device Safety sites:
- ECRI Institute
- Institute for Safe Medication Practices
- Consumer Medication Safety site from ISMP
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010