Nobody likes paying medical bills, and while hopefully insurance will handle the bulk of the cost, certain conditions lead to a bigger bill than others. Recently, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality conducted a review of the most costly inpatient conditions to get a better idea of what’s costing payers the most money. Today, we take a look at the 20 most costly inpatient medial conditions.
Costly Medical Conditions
Here’s a look at which inpatient procedures/conditions cost us the most.
1. Septicemia – $23.7 billion (6.2%)
2. Osteoarthritis – $16.5 billion (4.3%)
3. Newborn Infant Care – $13.3 billion (3.5%)
4. Complication of Device, Implant or Graft – $12.4 billion (3.3%)
5. Acute Myocardial Infarction – $12.1 billion (3.2%)
The team only released expense and total percentage data on the top five, but they still shared the entire top 20 list. Here’s the remaining fifteen conditions:
6. Congestive Heart Failure
7. Spondylosis, Intervertebral Disc Disorders and Other Back Problems
8. Pneumonia
9. Coronary Atherosclerosis
10. Acute Cerebrovascular Disease
11. Cardiac Dysrhythmias
12. Respiratory Failure, Insufficiency, Arrest
13. Complications of Surgery or Medical Care
14. Rehabilitation Care/Fitting and Adjustment of Prostheses
15. Mood Disorders
16. Chronic Pulmonary Disease and Bronchiectasis
17. Heart Valve Disorders
18. Diabetes with Complications
19. Fracture of Neck or Femur
20. Biliary Track Disease
According to researchers, the top 20 most expensive conditions account for nearly half (47.7%) of all aggregate hospital costs, and they account for 43.7% of all hospital stays. The team also noted that osteoarthritis and spine problems were listed as the most expensive conditions for Medicare and private insurance. Pregnancy and childbirth were the most costly for Medicaid and private insurance, while skin infections were the most costly for Medicaid and uninsured individuals.
For more information about the findings, you can find the full report by clicking here.
