What is the most expensive hospital bill?

Asked by: Prof. Gianni Johnson IV  |  Last update: October 7, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (11 votes)

Heart transplants top the list as the most expensive medical procedure in 2024. The complexity of the surgery, the need for donor matching, and the lifelong post-transplant care contribute to the high cost. The average cost of a heart transplant in the United States is approximately $1.3 million.

What is the highest hospital bill?

It's also not surprising that likely the most expensive hospital bill ever also took place in the U.S. in Florida, worth $9.2 million. According to McKinsey & Company, the healthcare industry is expected to demonstrate growth of 4 percent CAGR from 2021 to 2016, where it will likely reach profits of $790 billion.

What is the most expensive hospital treatment?

Exploratory chest surgery is among the most expensive medical procedures globally, with U.S. hospitals charging an average of $137,533 per procedure, making it the costliest single medical procedure in the country.

What is the most expensive medical expense?

Currently, exploratory chest surgery, a pre-diagnostic surgery that physicians perform to better diagnose or treat an illness, is the most expensive hospital procedure, costing an average of $137,533. Employers can help employees manage their medical costs by offering a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA).

What are the 3 biggest expenses for hospitals?

Wage expenses represent about 55% - 65%. Supplies and services account for the next largest expense, followed by depreciation. Most healthcare facilities try their best not only to maintain a clean and safe environment for patients but also provide them with high quality medical equipment.

Why Medical Bills In The US Are So Expensive

18 related questions found

What is the highest surgery cost?

Heart transplants top the list as the most expensive medical procedure in 2024. The complexity of the surgery, the need for donor matching, and the lifelong post-transplant care contribute to the high cost. The average cost of a heart transplant in the United States is approximately $1.3 million.

What is the most expensive back surgery?

Lumbar Spinal Fusion

The direct costs are astronomical and may reach as high as $169,000 for a lumbar fusion and $112,000 for a cervical fusion!

What is the most expensive sickness to treat?

Heart disease has come top of a league table of costs of treatment for the 15 most expensive conditions in the United States. A new study that analysed annual healthcare costs in the United States has found that heart disease, cancer, and trauma are the three biggest conditions in terms of cost.

What is the most expensive department in a hospital?

ICU (Intensive Care Unit)

Due to the specialized nature of ICU care, medical bills for a stay in this area of the hospital can be extremely high.

What is the most expensive hospital drug?

Lenmeldy (atidarsagene autotemcel) is the most expensive drug on the market with a steep price tag of $4.25m. The gene therapy is developed for children with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a potentially fatal disorder caused by a mutation in the arylsulfatase-A (ARSA) gene, which leads to the buildup of fats.

What are the top 5 major surgeries?

The 10 Most Common Surgeries in the U.S.
  • Joint Replacement. ...
  • Circumcision. ...
  • Broken Bone Repair. ...
  • Angioplasty and Atherectomy. ...
  • Stent Procedure. ...
  • Hysterectomy. ...
  • Gallbladder Removal (Cholecystectomy) Every year about 460,000 U.S. residents have a cholecystectomy. ...
  • Heart Bypass Surgery (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft)

What is the richest hospital?

35 health systems ranked by revenue
  • Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.): $25.2 billion.
  • HCA Healthcare (Nashville, Tenn.): ...
  • CommonSpirit (Chicago): $8.3 billion.
  • Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.): $7.5 billion.
  • Ascension (St. ...
  • UPMC (Pittsburgh): $6.9 billion.
  • Providence (Renton, Wash.): ...
  • Tenet Healthcare (Dallas): $5 billion.

What if I need surgery but can't afford my deductible?

In cases like this, we recommend contacting your insurance, surgeon, or hospital and asking if they can help you with a payment plan. Remember that your surgery provider wants to get paid so they may be very willing to work with you on a payment plan.

Why is my ER bill so high?

Is this based on severity? Hospitals will bill you for a line item called “ER Visit Level” that is based on the complexity of your treatment. ER visit levels range from 1-5: ER visit level 1 is the most mild, while ER visit level 5 is the most severe.

How expensive can hospital bills be?

Meanwhile, in California, an average stay costs $18,815 and workers earn an average of $37.44 hourly. With residents needing to work 503 hours to afford a stay, California is in third. While California has the fourth-highest average hourly earnings, it also has the highest hospital stay costs of any state.

What is the hardest illness to cure?

Some of the common medical conditions of people requiring care at the end of life include:
  • cancer.
  • dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
  • advanced lung, heart, kidney and liver disease.
  • stroke and other neurological diseases, including motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis.
  • Huntington's disease.
  • muscular dystrophy.

What is the number 1 illness in the world?

Leading causes of death in 2021 globally

The world's biggest killer is ischaemic heart disease, responsible for 13% of the world's total deaths. Since 2000, the largest increase in deaths has been for this disease, rising by 2.7 million to 9.1 million deaths in 2021.

What's the most painful illness to live with?

20 most painful conditions
  • Sciatica. ...
  • Kidney stones. ...
  • Trigeminal neuralgia. ...
  • Endometriosis. ...
  • Gout. ...
  • Acute pancreatitis. ...
  • Stomach or peptic ulcer. Peptic ulcers are open sores that form in the lining inside the stomach. ...
  • Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain all over the body (widespread musculoskeletal pain).

What is the most expensive hospital procedure?

Most Expensive Surgical Procedures in 2022
  1. Heart Transplant. A heart transplant is one of the most expensive surgeries in the world, with costs ranging from $1.38 million to $1.66 million. ...
  2. Joint Replacement. ...
  3. Spine. ...
  4. Sports Medicine. ...
  5. Neurosurgery. ...
  6. Kidney Transplant.

What is the most expensive thing in the world?

History Supreme Yacht is the most expensive thing in the world with a price tag of $4.8 billion. While it's not pronounced as the largest yacht in the world, it still took three years to design this luxury.

What's the hardest surgery to go?

One of the most complex surgeries that patients can undergo is surgery related to the liver, pancreas, and gastrointestinal system. The surgery itself is a lengthy and complex process and requires a team of specialists to carry out the operation.

What is the most expensive item in the hospital?

Go no further than a $2.5 million PET/CT scanner, or a $270 million MRI machine.

Which disease is most expensive to treat?

Top 10 Most Expensive Chronic Diseases for Healthcare Payers
  • Heart diseases and stroke. ...
  • Diabetes. ...
  • Arthritis. ...
  • Alcohol-related health issues. ...
  • Cancer. ...
  • Obesity. ...
  • Alzheimer's disease. ...
  • Smoking-related health issues.