$225,000 for Defibrillator/Pacemaker -- Does this sound right???

Just found out from the insurance company's statement that my father's combination defibrillator/pacemaker costs $225,000! That seems outrageous to me!

He spent one night in the hospital after the surgery with no complications and there weren't any special circumstances.

Is the device and surgery really that expensive???

I would like to hear from you even if you don't have a defibrillator yourself but have an idea of how much it should cost for the surgery and/or device.

Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

15 Comments

outrageous

by bowlrbob - 2009-05-13 10:05:21

I hope you are not right. I only got a pacemaker 3 and 1/2 years ago but I had 2 nights in intensive care and the total including Dr and everything was $66,000 and I thought that was high. PS because of insurance i only paid $2500.00 abnd the Insurance paid about 1/3 of the total. Bowlrbob Insurance get's a better deal when I said 1/3rd I mean they paid no more than $22000 of the total billed.

WOW!!

by Melissa - 2009-05-13 11:05:32

I'm so glad in live in Australia..... I spent 1 night in the ER, 3 more nights in the ICU, got my pacemaker put in, and spent another night on the cardiac ward, as well as several check-ups with my Dr & Technician since......all for the grand total of $0.

All paid for by the very generous Aust government under our public health system. I know our health system does have it's problems....but in this instance I couldn't fault them - the dr/nurses were all fantastic, I had no complications and for the 3 nights in ICU I had a room to myself.

So sorry, mpmc. I can't help you find out if your quote is too expensive or not. But I just had to respond - $225,000 - wow!!

Mel

They are pretty expensive...

by Pharoah - 2009-05-14 01:05:08

I never saw the total bill for my surgery, I have the PM/ICD combo. I do know that the surgeon told me the unit was $48,000, the leads were an additional $35,000, plus two nights in the hospital. When I had my MI back in 04, I did see the bill afterwards, and that was 18 days in the hospital, 14 of those in ICU, had a stent placed, and the bill was right around $250,000. I too have great insurance, and haven't paid a cent for any of it.

Kimberly

PM/ICD

by thomast - 2009-05-14 01:05:18

I had a medtronic bi-ven 3 wire PM with ICD put in in 05. One night in hospital $92,000, discounted to $59,000 for medicare. I have high dedductable insurance so my cost was $4000. I could have lower deductable but it would cost me and the high deductable is free from my company. Found out last week that it will only be 6 to 9 months until mine will have to be replaced, the battery is about dead.

cost

by franko1966 - 2009-05-14 02:05:03

by the way are you in the usa,never told us were you had it done

crikey is right!!!

by jessie - 2009-05-14 05:05:22

i know that it is coming where we will have to pay more for the user fees here. we tho have had a lifetime of free medical care in that my pacemaker, my husband's bi-pass were 00 too in canada. we are similar to australia and the u.k. where the medical care is not for profit per say. well anway can't compare because we were never told the price. no bill no nothing jessie

cost

by franko1966 - 2009-05-14 06:05:50

I was in duke med for 1 month in jan 2007,had to threw heart transplant evauation,did not have a heart trasplant,did have a defib/dual putin me whole thing cost 207,0000 ,good thing i had insurance only 500.00 after that

D-Fib/PM Made Of Gold?

by Nim Rod - 2009-05-14 08:05:25

Please tell us where that highway robbery took place in case some of us are scheduled to go there. I know a D-Fib/pacemaker combo implant is more costly, but I didn't know they were that much more.

cost

by Pookie - 2009-05-14 08:05:56

totally free in Nova Scotia, Canada.


Pookie

Holy ....!

by mgweaver - 2009-05-14 12:05:49

I have an ICD and was in the hospital for approximately one week. Three days ICU, four days cardiac floor, ICD implant. My total was approximately $85,000. Which would be about right for franko1966 who was in for a whole month. I was only in for a week and mine was that much. Luckily, I have excellent health insurance through my employer and didn't have to pay a penny. I do like to think of my $100,000 heart (had a lead replacement a year later) as collateral for a mortage someday though. :)

Cost

by GCWebb - 2009-05-15 10:05:06

Had my medtronic bi-v with icd placed 11-07 in USA for a total of $138,000 it's not an inexpensive surgery by any stretch.

Actual cost

by ElectricFrank - 2009-05-15 11:05:13

This isn't the actual cost paid by the insurance company. They have a deep discount negotiated with the PM company, hospital, and surgeon.

That's outrageous!

by TexasAngel - 2009-05-16 07:05:14

I just got a CRT-D (Medtronic Concerto) in April and I haven't seen a hospital bill yet but I did see my EOBs from my insurance company and between the hospital and doctor so far it is right at $100,000ish. I would go over that hospital bill with a fine toothed comb!!!!!

pm-cost

by seeker581 - 2009-09-07 07:09:59

I received my pm going on three years now,Oct-26-06.The only out-of-pocket expense I paid was for the transport between hospitals.All other costs were covered by my canadian provencial health plan.The pm alone cost conservatively at least 45000.Take care.

my bill

by georgeazarmitchell - 2014-06-20 12:06:00

icd/pacemaker combo was 60,000 billed to Medicare .my cost about 1400 hundred .

You know you're wired when...

The mortgage on your device is more than your house.

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