What heart bypass surgery costs: United States vs. other countries
Open-heart surgery that routes blood around one blocked artery, with a hospital stay.
Typical price paid to hospitals and doctors for heart bypass surgery, from one report on the same basis: $89,094 in the United States, $25,804 in the United Kingdom, $16,936 in Germany, $17,741 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 | $89,094 (iFHP) | Depends on the plan. The average deductible is $1,886 for single coverage (KFF) | Not yet sourced |
| Canada | $25,189 to $43,686 in Canada’s own figures, not converted: the hospital’s cost for the stay, doctors’ fees not included, depending on the type of case (CIHI) | No charge for medically necessary hospital and doctor care (Commonwealth Fund) | Half of patients had surgery within 9 days of being ready for it (CIHI) |
| United Kingdom | $25,804 (iFHP) | No charge. NHS care is free when you use it (Commonwealth Fund) | Half of patients had bypass surgery within 84 days of the specialist deciding on it (OECD) |
| France | €13,436.00: the set payment to a public hospital for the stay, simplest cases (ATIH) | National insurance pays 80% of a hospital stay (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Germany | $16,936 (iFHP) | €10 a day in hospital, for at most 28 days a year (BMG Germany) | Not yet sourced |
| Japan | ¥751,600: the national fee for a bypass with one graft alone. The hospital stay, anaesthesia and materials are paid separately (MHLW Japan) | 30% of the bill for most adults, with a monthly cap (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Australia | $17,741 (iFHP) | No charge in a public hospital (Commonwealth Fund) | Half of patients waited 19 days or less in public hospitals (Productivity Commission) |
Where no sourced figure exists, the cell says so. We do not fill gaps with estimates.