What the procedure that opens a blocked artery after a heart attack costs: United States vs. other countries
The price shown is for coronary angioplasty in hospital, the usual procedure to open a blocked artery after a heart attack.
Typical price paid to hospitals and doctors for the procedure that opens a blocked artery after a heart attack, from one report on the same basis: $34,504 in the United States, $11,073 in the United Kingdom, $3,347 in Germany, $10,230 in Australia. Source: International Health Care Cost Comparison Report 2024 (Report dated October 2024. Prices are for 2022.). These are not what one patient was charged; what patients pay is in the table.
| Country | Price paid to the hospital | What a patient usually pays | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $34,504 (iFHP) | Depends on the plan. The average deductible is $1,886 for single coverage (KFF) | Not yet sourced |
| Canada | $6,323 in Canada’s own figures, not converted: the hospital’s cost for the stay, doctors’ fees not included (planned angioplasty, no heart attack) (CIHI) | No charge for medically necessary hospital and doctor care (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| United Kingdom | $11,073 (iFHP) | No charge. NHS care is free when you use it (Commonwealth Fund) | Half of patients had a planned angioplasty within 42 days of the specialist deciding on it (OECD) |
| France | €3,125.96: the set payment to a public hospital for the stay, simplest cases (no heart attack) (ATIH) | National insurance pays 80% of a hospital stay (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Germany | $3,347 (iFHP) | €10 a day in hospital, for at most 28 days a year (BMG Germany) | Not yet sourced |
| Japan | ¥216,800 to ¥343,800: the national fee for placing a stent alone, lowest for planned cases and highest during a heart attack. The hospital stay, the stent and drugs are paid separately (MHLW Japan) | 30% of the bill for most adults, with a monthly cap (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Australia | $10,230 (iFHP) | No charge in a public hospital (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
Where no sourced figure exists, the cell says so. We do not fill gaps with estimates.