It’s been a while since I last wrote a blog entry so I thought I’d finish one of the many ones I had started. This was one I had started to write about a month ago. It’s about the cost of treating a stroke and what I think it cost to help me. I think you’ll find this very interesting.
I found an article on CBC (Here) that says the average cost per stay of A stroke victim in the hospital is $11,260 . This article was written in 2008 and was based on statistics from 2005. That was over 10 years ago.
If I am reading that correctly (and my reading is not that good yet) that is the average cost. I had a very severe stroke ( The doctors did not think I was going to live) so if that is the average then my average daily cost could be higher. For the purpose of this conversation I am going to use the average of $11,260. I will assume a stay is 5 days.
I spent about 48 days in Concordia. What I am about to say shocked me. based on that average it cost $112,600 for my stay in Concordia. Once again I’m using the average for every day I was in the hospital. It could have decreased as time went on but regardless that is a serious number. It costs more to look after me then someone with cancer ( no amount given but it is the fourth on the list). The cost of looking after me really humbles me. That is an incredible amount of money to spend on one person. Our medical system may have it’s problems (cost of treatment is one of them) but when I needed them they were there. They are heroes in my eyes.
This number does not even include the 3 1/2 months I spent in a rehab facility Learning how to walk with a cane. It also doesn’t The year and a half of therapy I got in my home after coming home from the rehab facility. I don’t have a statistic for the cost of the rehab facility but even if we use a number like $1,000 per day that’s approximately $100,000 (100*$1,000) for the facility and another $30,000 in rehab at home.
That’s $242,600 so far in health expenses to keep me alive and able to live in my own home. There are a lot of other expenses, mainly paid for by insurance or myself but they pale in comparison to what the medical system has paid.
It’s important to note that some these numbers are just numbers I pulled out of my ass but I think are reasonable amounts. As a matter fact I think the numbers are higher than what I am estimating. What is definitely obvious is that it took a shit load of money to bring me back to where I am and I am so grateful.
My Stroke Progress Blog 