COVID-19 or also known as coronavirus is the trending topic among the internet users around the world. This is a nightmare virus for several thousand people in the US due to high treatment cost. According to a latest study, on an average, coronavirus treatment cost US$30,000 for a hospitalized patient in the US. This is a total nightmare for poor and people with debt. In addition to this, this virus may cost the US billions of dollar in medical expenses.
Based on the study carried out by the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy in April 2020, if a major portion of the US population gets infected with coronavirus (COVID-19), this may cost US$654 billion to the US.
COVID-19 Test Cost Varies in the US
Based on several news outlets and newspapers, coronavirus test cost varies in the US from city to city, and lab to lab. Gibson Diagnostic Labs (Irving, Texas) charged test fees as high as US$6,946. However, the lab accepted that it by mistake, charged patients three times the base rate.
The same COVID-19 test cost US$100 in one lab in some part of the US. What’s the reason? The US Government does not care about health care prices regulation.
When we talk about the state of Texas, the charge varies from as low as US$27 to the as high as US$2,315.
For some lucky patients in few parts of the US, they were charged nothing because local government agencies offered it for free.
Healthcare Provider and Medicare: What they say?
COVID-19 test cost in the US is a big liability and burden on the shoulders of US people. US$51.31, this was the price paid by Medicare in the initial stage for COVID-19 tests. However, in mid-April, the charges rose up to US$100.
To your surprise, some of the emergency rooms in Oklahoma and Texas charged patients in the range of US$500 to US$990 for coronavirus tests.
Texas: A state with high test bill for COVID-19
Texas is identified as one of the states where multiple insurance companies have received high bills of COVID-19 tests. On an average, those labs charged US$1,114 per coronavirus test.
Article last re-published on March 26, 2021.