The Staggering Costs Of Common Medical Procedures In Arizona

Most people are perfectly aware of why medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States. Simple health care can cost thousands of dollars per appointment, even with full health insurance coverage. A patient undergoing a serious medical procedure may need to take significant time off from work, or may not ever be able to return to their job. This can lead to additional debts being accrued while that person figures out how to pay their bills going forward. With most American households living paycheck to paycheck, all it takes is a minor medical event to throw off a family’s entire budget. However, medical debt can be discharged in bankruptcy due to its unsecured non-priority status. If you’re overwhelmed by medical debt in Arizona, bankruptcy may be an option. Learn more about the process and receive a competitive quote, with Zero Down payment plan options available, today with your free consultation. Call 480-470-0005 to get started.

Childbirth

An expectant mother will have several medical appointments to attend, even if the pregnancy goes smoothly. But checkups, ultrasounds, and other standard pregnancy appointments pale in comparison to the childbirth itself. Giving birth vaginally typically costs less than having a C-section, which is an option for some mothers but a medical necessity in other cases. In Arizona, the average cost for a vaginal childbirth is $8,034 with health insurance coverage and $14,812 without insurance. The average cost for a C-section is $10,699 with health insurance and $18,023 without insurance.

Tonsil Removal

Many of us dreamed of getting our tonsils removed as children because those children were allowed to eat ice cream for dinner while they recovered. In adulthood, the thought of surgery and the after-effects of ice cream for dinner are highly unappealing. In Arizona, having your tonsils removed at a surgery center is slightly more affordable than having the surgery performed at a hospital. The average cost of tonsil and adenoid removal at a surgery center in Arizona is $4,073. The average cost of this procedure at a hospital in Arizona is $7,513.

Stroke

Like every other medical issue in our country, paying for medical care after a stroke doesn’t come cheap. Treating a hemorrhagic stroke typically requires a longer hospital stay and is more expensive than treating an ischemic stroke. The average treatment for an ischemic stroke treatment requires 5.6 days of hospitalization and costs $9,100. A hemorrhagic stroke takes, on average, 8.4 days to treat and costs $19,500. The American Stroke Association estimates that the total average lifetime costs for an ischemic stroke are $140,048.

Broken Bones

There are a wide range of factors that can affect how much it costs to treat a broken bone. A broken bone can occur in one location or can be part of a larger accident involving multiple broken bones and other injuries. A broken bone may or may not require surgery as treatment. Below are the average surgical costs, before health insurance, for common bone groups throughout the body:

• Finger: $7,000-$14,250
• Toe: $5,900-$11,750
• Collarbone: $10,580-$21,350
• Nose: $9,600-$19,100
• Wrist: $12,700-$26,800
• Forearm: $14,700-$29,300
• Rib: $28,600-$62,100
• Arm: $17,150-$31,000
• Ankle: $15,275-$31,200
• Leg: $19,375-$41,000
• Vertebrae: $38,400-$150,900
• Hip: $38,400-$90,500

Physical Therapy

After receiving surgery for a broken bone, the patient may be required to complete physical therapy as part of the healing process. Physical therapy could also be a less-invasive alternative to surgery. Despite not requiring highly sanitary conditions, anesthesia, and other treatment factors, physical therapy is still expensive. And for the most part, it takes several visits before the patient starts seeing results, rather than an instantaneous cure in a singular appointment. Different health insurance plans treat physical therapy differently. Some may charge a reasonable set rate per appointment, while others may require that the patient meet their yearly deductible before insurance contributions kick in. A common injury requiring physical therapy is a rotator cuff strain, which typically requires about 8 treatments over 2 to 3 months and costs $960. Physical therapy for a reconstructive surgery, such as an ACL reconstruction, could take 24 sessions over 9 to 12 months and cost $2,880.

Heart Attack

If the prices in this article are making you feel stressed, take a deep breath- or it could be very expensive for you. The average cost for treating a heart attack in Arizona is $25,720.

Dental Care

Ignoring your dental health can have long-term detrimental effects on the rest of your body. For some reason, dental treatment is not included in health insurance, and is extremely expensive without its own insurance policy. Dental care prices are so high that it isn’t uncommon to engage in dental tourism and kill two birds with one stone by receiving more affordable treatment while on vacation in a different country. The average cost for a standard dental cleaning, which is generally recommended twice per year, in Arizona is $150. The average cost of a porcelain crown is $1,274. The average cost for a molar root canal in Arizona is $1,222. For complete upper dentures, the average cost is $1,833. As annoying as it may be, brushing for a full 2 minutes and flossing nightly can end up saving you significant amounts of money over the years.

Organ Transplant

At this point, it probably isn’t surprising that organ transplants are one of the most expensive medical procedures out there. If you are curious about how much organ transplants cost, you can find the price of the specific procedure on the hospital’s website. For example, at Banner, the inclusive rate for a heart transplant is $263,618, but if the patient requires more than 60 days of follow-up care, the patient can be charged as much as $333,301. A bone marrow transplant has an inclusive rate of $173,668, with per diem care after the 60th day charged at $2,394 per day. A kidney transplant costs $141,972 from a living donor and $123,222 from a cadaver donor.

Burdened By Debts From A Medical Event Outside Of Your Control?

The costs of medical care in the United States are out of control, and this doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. Instead of ensuring that health care is affordable for American citizens, lawmakers place limitations on medical bill credit reporting and collections. This is only putting a band-aid on the situation, which is all most people can afford for health care in the United States. While caps on interest rates keep medical debt from ballooning too high for some, it can take years to pay off what should be a routine medical appointment. But filing for bankruptcy as soon as you receive your diagnosis probably isn’t the most effective way to seek debt relief. Some types of debts are easier to discharge in bankruptcy than others, which can impact how you prioritize your spending during your medical care. The good news is that medical debt is one of the simplest types of debts to discharge in bankruptcy, whether you file for chapter 7 bankruptcy or chapter 13 bankruptcy. You can discuss the possibility of a medical bankruptcy in Arizona with no risk or obligation. Schedule your free consultation by phone with one of our experienced bankruptcy professionals in Arizona today by calling 480-470-0005.