A stent is a small, metal-mesh tube placed in an artery requiring support for a variety of reasons, from keeping it wide enough for sufficient blood flow to keeping it from erupting. Unfortunately, such procedures can be extremely costly and exceedingly necessary.
Patients with health insurance may pay little to nothing, depending upon deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses particular to their plan. Since stents require a specialty doctor (a cardiologist), many insurance plans require patients to pay a percentage of the surgery.
For those without health insurance, procedures to place stents can cost tens of thousands of dollars—and even with health insurance, twenty percent of $11,000 to $40,000 is still quite a bit of money. The actual cost (without health insurance) depends largely on the region, the type of stent procedure being performed, how long the patient is required to stay in the hospital, and other fees particular to the hospital and doctor performing the procedure.
If you’re trying to plan a budget, ask for an estimate. You may want to include any follow-up visits or imaging tests your doctor might want to perform.
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