Cost of health care

We know that health costs are a concern for all of us. Even though you don’t pay those costs yourself, it may be helpful to understand them. Do you know that taking care of yourself can cost less than waiting until you are sick?

Taking good care of your asthma means taking your controller medication daily.

Depending on your age and how bad your asthma is, you should be measuring your peak flows every day. You should take your controller medication daily and use your rescue inhaler as needed. You need to fill your prescriptions every month. Remember to see your doctor regularly and get your flu shot every year. This costs your health plan about $1,600 a year.

Going to the emergency room (ER) when you can’t catch your breath or are wheezing from asthma costs about $350 each visit. Being admitted to the hospital for asthma costs more than $6,510!

The cost of taking care of yourself:

12 months controller medication: $1,600

3 months rescue medication: $50

1 doctor visit: $70

$1,720 per year

 

The cost of each ER visit if you don’t take your controller medication:

Hospital Costs: $280

Doctor Costs: $70

$350 per ER visit

 

The cost of each hospital stay if you don’t take your controller medication and become very ill:

Hospital Costs: $2,100/day

Doctor Costs: $70/day

Average length of stay: 3 days or $6,510 per hospital stay

      

 

 

Taking care of yourself when you are pregnant is important for you and your baby

You need to see your doctor and take your vitamins. Remember you should not smoke, take drugs or drink alcohol.

It helps to know the warning signs of early labor. If you don’t, you may go to the doctor later than you should, causing the costs go up.

If you are in the hospital for a long time because you have problems, the cost is more than $1,000/day. For every week your baby stays in the intensive care unit, it can cost more than $20,300 per week.

The cost of taking care of yourself:

Doctor visits (8 visits): $700

Prenatal vitamins (9 months): $150

$850 per pregnancy

 

The cost for a normal vaginal delivery:

Hospital costs: $3,600

Anesthesiology costs: $300

Doctor costs:  $1,500

$5,400 per delivery

Average length of stay: 2 days

 

The cost of your baby being in intensive care (per day):

Hospital costs: $2,500 per day

Doctor cost: $400 per day

$2,900 per day

Average length of stay: 17 days  or $49,300

 

Flu season comes every year

A flu shot costs about $10 and is recommended for anyone, not just people who have health problems. If you miss the flu shot and get the flu and are treated at the doctor’s office, it costs about $60. If you go to the ER, it costs about $650. If you need to stay in the hospital, it can cost more than $8,450.

The flu season comes every year. If you need a shot, get it.

The cost of taking care of yourself by getting the flu shot: $10

 

The cost of seeing your doctor when you have the flu:

Doctor visit: $60

 

The cost of each ER visit if you did not see your doctor:

Hospital costs: $170

Doctor costs: $30

$200 per ER visit

 

The cost of one flu-related hospital stay:

Hospital costs: $600/day

Doctor costs: $50/day

Average length of stay: 13 days or $8,450

 

It pays to take care of yourself if you have diabetes.

Watch your blood sugar. You also need to control your blood pressure, which you can do through diet, exercise and taking your medicines. You should see your doctor regularly. Remember to get your blood and urine checked.

Bad things can happen if you don’t take care of yourself. You could lose your kidneys, a foot or your sight because of diabetes.

Keeping your diabetes under control costs about $1,560 a year. Going to the ER because your sugar is too high can cost more than $500 each visit. Staying in the hospital can cost more than $5,750.

The cost of taking care of your diabetes:

12 months of insulin: $1,400

Doctor visits (every 6 months): $160

$1,560 per year

 

The cost of each ER visit if you don’t control your diabetes:

Hospital costs: $450

Doctor costs: $50

$500 per ER visit

 

The cost of each hospital stay if you don’t control your diabetes and become very ill:

Hospital costs:  $1,100 per day

Doctor costs: $50 per day

Average length of stay: 5 days or $5,750 per hospital stay

 

 

Taking your medicine, a good diet and exercise can help control your high blood pressure

You may find that a good diet and exercise are not enough. You may have to take blood pressure medicines. See your doctor regularly. Getting tests and taking medicines costs about $150 a year. Going to the ER because of high blood pressure costs about $350 a visit. Going to the hospital for a heart attack can cost more than $5,600 for the hospital stay.

Quitting smoking and stopping or cutting back on alcohol will help. Exercising, taking your medicines daily and seeing your doctor can help keep you from the ER or hospital.

The cost of taking your blood pressure medicines (12 months):

Blood pressure medicines: $150 a year

The cost of each ER visit if you don’t control your high blood pressure:

Hospital costs: $300

Doctor costs: $50

$350 per ER visit

 

The cost of each hospital stay if you have a heart attack:

Hospital costs: $500 per day

Doctor costs: $300 per day

Average length of stay: 7 days or $5,600 per hospital stay

 

 

 

Making up your mind to quit smoking costs you nothing

Smoking is expensive and bad for your health

A pack of cigarettes a day can cost you more than $5 daily, or more than $1,800 a year. Smoking increases your chances of heart attack, cancer and stroke. If you have to take medicines to help quit smoking, it costs about $60 a month.

Having a heart attack, cancer or a stroke can cost you your life.

Cost of medicines to help you quit: $60 per month

The cost of each hospital stay if you have a heart attack:

Hospital costs:  $2,100 per day

Doctor costs: $50 per day

Average length of stay: 5 days or $12,900 per hospital stay

 

 

The cost of cancer caused by smoking:

Hospital costs:  $17,000

Chemotherapy:  $7,000

Doctor costs:  $600

Other services:   $100

Average length of stay: 7 days or $24,700 per hospital stay

 

Take the time to exercise and eat right

Obesity is a big risk factor for high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis (joint pain) and stroke. Eating the right foods and daily exercise can keep you from having to take medicines or shots for diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis. Getting regular exercise can help you feel better too. If you take the time to exercise and eat right, you can reduce the number of pills you take and can feel better.

Taking care of obesity can cost about $2,000 a year. Going to the ER because you don’t control obesity-related diabetes or high blood pressure can cost more than $1,000 a visit. Being in the hospital for a heart attack caused by obesity can cost more than $12,900 each stay.

The cost of taking care of obesity if you develop diabetes and high blood pressure:

Diabetes: 

Insulin (12 months):  $1,400

Doctor visits (every 6 months):  $200

$1,600 per year

High blood pressure:

Blood pressure medicine (12 months):  $150

 

The cost of each ER visit if you don’t control your diabetes or high blood pressure:

Hospital costs:  $300

Doctor costs:  $50

$350 per ER visit

 

The cost of each hospital stay if you have a heart attack:

Hospital costs:  $2,100 per day

Doctor costs: $50 per day

Average length of stay: 6 days or $12,900 per hospital stay

 

 

Regular brushing and flossing of your teeth and gums are important to your health

Regular brushing and flossing of your teeth and gums are important to your health. Taking care of your children’s teeth will help them talk better, chew well and help your child keep his or her next set of teeth. Losing a tooth can ruin your smile and can cause you to lose other teeth.

Avoiding sweets, regular brushing, flossing and getting fluoride treatments can help you keep your smile.

It is especially important to take care of your teeth if you are pregnant. How you take care of your teeth and gums matters to your baby’s health.

The cost of taking care of your teeth:

Dental visit (every 6 months): $300

The cost of a cavity or root canal:

Cavity:  $100 each

Root canal: $500 each

Shots are a gift of health

Many childhood diseases can be stopped if your child gets all needed shots on time. You can protect your child from disease by getting them the right shots. You will also protect others at school or daycare. Shots are not just for young children. Teens need to get shots too.

Cost of getting shots: $10

The cost of getting sick:

Doctor visit, per visit*: $60

*This cost can go up if you need to go to the hospital.