According to KFF data analysis from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. saw 287,000 preventable hospitalizations for Covid — June 19 through August.
The study authors used “preventable” hospitalizations to refer primarily to hospitalizations of unvaccinated adults for treatment with Covid-19, explaining the post-vaccination infections that would have been expected if this population had been vaccinated.
These figures add up to a total of $ 5.7 billion spent on preventable hospitalizations over three months. The study authors said that number is probably a conservative estimate of costs.
“This ballpark figure is probably an understatement of the cost burden arising from the preventable treatment of Covid-19 in unvaccinated adults,” the authors said.
The study did not take into account the costs of outpatient care and some data indicate that the costs of inpatient medical care for treatment with Covid-19 may exceed the $ 20,000 used.
“In addition, although advanced infections and hospitalizations are rare, unvaccinated people are also more likely to spread the virus to those who have taken steps to protect themselves and others, and these costs are not include in these estimates, ”the authors wrote.