eAlert Wed, 10/03/2018 - 12:00

High prices in U.S. health care are not limited to drugs and procedures: we also typically pay more than other countries do for medical devices, like stents and pacemakers. In fact, a new Commonwealth Fund-supported study in Health Affairs finds that U.S. hospitals pay up to six times more for cardiac devices than hospitals in Europe do.

The mean price of a dual-chamber pacemaker in 2014 was $1,400 in Germany, but $4,200 in the U.S. Prices also varied significantly within the European Union. Authors Martin Wenzl and Elias Mossialos say that different purchasing relationships between hospitals and manufacturers may be contributing to the disparities.

Cardiac implant costs_1x1 Read the summary U.S. Hospitals Pay More for Cardiac Devices Than European Hospitals