Replacement cost

Hello all,
I am due to have my original Guidant duel chamber (Boston Scientific) PM replaced in about a year. We are changing insurance companies -unfortunately, and do not know if they will cover the majority of the cost of the replacement. I have the cost for the MD and the hospital - does anyone know the ball park cost of the new PM if the leads are all ok? Thanks

9 Comments

Since you're asking for ballpark

by Angelie - 2010-05-12 01:05:04

Giving a "ballpark" estimate won't hurt.
I'm sure you probably are aware that there are many factors that effect pacemaker cost. What your hospital bills and what your insurance agrees to settle with are two totally different issues. Also what brand of pacer and what bells and whistles it offers.
BALLPARK:
I know on my itemized hospital bill which lists only ITEMS not services.....my dual chamber Medtronic Kappa was 20,000.

That'll give ya a range starting point at least. Good luck with the insurance company. I'll be rootin' for ya.

-Angelie

PM cost

by thomast - 2010-05-12 02:05:26

Just had my 3 wire CRT unit replace in Oct 09, wires were good, unit was aMedtronic, costs for unit, hospital etc was about $34,000

Thomas

Hewll Lshyers

by sugar - 2010-05-12 03:05:22

Hi,

I had a dual line medtronics put in (everything was new) and it was over $28,000 with a one night overstay (I left) and this was in Massachusetts. I personally think these are totally crazy amounts. This included the drs. and machinery - hard to believe.

Good luch, Sugar/Patty

Pacemaker Costs

by SMITTY - 2010-05-12 03:05:40





Hewll Lshyers,

My pacemaker was replaced in Oct. '09 and below are the costs listed on the statement I got. This was in Temple, TX. I understand locale can have a significant effect on these. Also, you will note no leads are listed. My old ones were still good.

Removal of old Pacemaker $ 3,397.00
Medtronic Dual W/Rate Resp. 8,700.00
Implanting Pacemaker 16,729.00
Meds and Supplies 867.00
EKG 135.00
Recovery Room 194.00
X-Rays 458.00

Total $30,480.00

Good luck,

Smitty

wow

by Lshyers - 2010-05-12 03:05:41

I guess the PM companies use the bill to make sure your PM is actually working ;> What is worse is the fact that ins companies make sure you have anywhere from 20 to 50% of the cost as a copay - but no one tells you how much it may cost you before you have it done. Thanks all, your comments and feedback help.

Larry
P.S. I know both of the gremlins smitty ;>

Sorry About That

by SMITTY - 2010-05-12 03:05:49

Sorry about what was supposed e to be Hello Lsyers. Gremlins got hold of Hello before I could get it posted.
Smitty

list?

by mike otto - 2010-07-01 06:07:26

there should be a list of hospitals who do these replacement surgeries. the cost is prohibitive. we need to create some competition. even if the docs hate the idea. what about canada?

medical tourism

by bornfree - 2012-05-22 08:05:31

Hi all,
I'm writing you from Germany. I used to live in the US for 37 years and got my first pacemaker in 2007. I could not get medical insurance because of several preconditions, so my husband and I moved to Germany in 2009 because I'm still a german citizen and I qualified for State Insurance program.
The care is excellent here and I'm very happy with the service I am receiving. Especially I like the fact that they dont have any pacemaker clinics here, the cardiologists do everything. At my first visit at my cardiologists office , the doc mentioned that all the functions of the pacemaker were turned on, even though I did not need them, which of course runs the battery down sooner than necessary. I was also on 2 heart medications in the US which I dont take anymore and because of this I'm only being paced at 30%.
Wow-.this is getting long but anyways.. because I miss my children and grandchildren we will return to the US next year, so I will have the same problem with the insurance for another 6 years until I qualify for medicare. So I asked my doc if I could travel back here to have it done and pay cash.He told me that the factory price of the pacemaker is 2000 Euro ( about 2400 us DOLLARS), the procedure can be done at the office under local anesthesia if the leads dont need replacing, I will find out his total cost in July at my next appointment.
I recommend that you go to Mexico or Europe for the procedure. There are agents who will take care of everthing for you and pick you straight up from the airport. The cost in Mexico is supposed to be 75% below the US cost, I will let you know the cost in Germany when I find out.No need to get ripped off in the US.

pacemaker costs in Colombia, South America

by broomfieldbill - 2014-10-26 03:10:08

First of all...I have lived in the south American country of Colombia for the past three years. With this in mind I had my twin lead Boston Scientific pm installed three months ago. My doctor told me that the pm unit cost my insurer about $9,000 plus whatever else my insurer had to pay the physicians and the two nights in the hospital for observation.

A couple of months before my pm surgery I had an angioplasty/stent procedure performed. One of my arteries was 90% blocked.


I didn't pay a cent..er..rather a peso for any of these procedures. I'm a pretty lucky guy. My wife and I pay about $35/month for our health insurance coverage.




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Your electric tooth brush interferes with your device.

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As for my pacemaker (almost 7 years old) I like to think of it in the terms of the old Timex commercial - takes a licking and keeps on ticking.