Dive Brief:
- Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient in the United States to be diagnosed with Ebola, died last week at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. Duncan, who was uninsured, according to a report in Bloomberg, received care that could have totaled nearly half a million dollars, which Texas Health will likely have to write off as charity care. The hospital is also caring for a nurse who became infected while treating Duncan, and a second healthcare worker who announced to have Ebola on Wednesday morning.
- Duncan was in isolation for nine days and received treatment including experimental medication, a ventilator, dialysis, fluid replacement, and blood transfusions. Other costs included security, disposal of his waste, and disruption to other areas of the hospital. Experts estimate the costs to be around $1,000 per hour.
- Kent Brantly, the physician first treated in the United States for Ebola, was cared for at Emory University in Atlanta. His treatment was covered with insurance from Samaritan’s Purse, his charity. Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha has also treated patients. Both facilities are well known for their expertise in working with patients with exotic diseases who require isolation.
Dive Insight:
Duncan, who was not an American citizen, would not have been eligible for insurance programs like Medicaid. And diseases like Ebola are costly to treat for several reasons. For instance, isolating a patient can can double the cost of traditional intensive care treatment. Rooms are also expensive and require time-consuming protocols like wearing special protective gear before entering the room and safely disposing of this gear afterwards.