Seattle (Washington) resident Michael Flor was one of the first American patients to be hospitalized for the coronavirus. His case was severe enough, and Flor spent a total of 62 days in a hospital and two rehabilitation centers.
Upon returning home, he received a bill for all medical services provided to him in the amount of $ 1.1 million. The 180-page invoice lists thousands of different charges, including $ 9,700 for each day of stay in the intensive care unit and $ 80,000 for 29 days of connection to a ventilator. Fortunately, Medicare, Supplemental Health Insurance, and a Congressional Hospital Assistance Fund for Coronavirus Patients took over the lion’s share of the bill, leaving Flore with only about $ 3,000 out of his pocket.
However, his story reflects the real cost of treating people with coronavirus. An analysis of one nationwide survey found that the average hospital bill for an uninsured patient is $ 73,000 and an insured $ 38,000. The total cost of hospitalization for coronavirus patients this year is expected to reach $ 17 billion. Going forward, the costs could be even greater, as the long-term health consequences of coronavirus patients are unclear.