This blog article covers Chronic Pain Management Prices and the Cost of Living.
Chronic Pain is an issue that affects people in every country and nearly every age group. The price tag for Chronic Pain can be substantial for individuals, their families, and society. These costs often need to be recognized by the public. Still, they add up quickly in estimates from organizations, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The cost of chronic Pain varies depending on how long it lasts and who pays for treatment or care.
Chronic Pain Management Prices and the Cost of Living
1. Prices of chronic pain management
The cost of pain management varies from person to person and from country to country. A 2010 British Medical Journal study found the average price of back pain in the United Kingdom was about $4,306 (when not insured). Three years later, a similar study found that the average cost of back pain management in the United Kingdom was about $4,553. According to data from the WHO’s World Report on Disability (1999), a chronic pain sufferer without insurance or other financial coverage would pay an estimated $600 annually for medications.
2. Average cost of pain relievers
The average price of a prescription painkiller in the U.S. is $3.51, according to research from 2012, while the average monthly prescription drug bill in Canada is $79 (Health Canada). A survey sponsored by the NIH found that individuals with chronic Pain often spend approximately 50 percent more on prescriptions than those without chronic Pain. I
3. The average cost of supplies such as knee braces and heating pads
The average price of a cervical collar is $27 in Canada, $96 in France, and about $13 in the United Kingdom. A gait belt can cost anywhere between $5 to $150. Prices for a heating pad can vary from about $20 to nearly $200, depending on the type and whether it needs to be plugged into an outlet or runs off batteries.
4. Average dr appt prices for chronic pain management
The average cost in the U.S. for pain management trips to the doctor was about $203 per visit in 2012. In the United Kingdom, the average cost for a pain management visit is about $1,000 (Healthcare Informatics).
5. The average price of long-term care
Long-term care costs vary depending on who pays for it and how much time they spend in a nursing facility or other assisted living facility (or at home). In the United Kingdom, gravely disabled adults in 1998 paid about $7.6 million for their care throughout their lives.
How moving to a cheaper state will inevitably save chronic pain sufferers in the long run,
1. Reducing monthly expenditures
According to industry data, the average monthly expenditure for a nursing home resident in the U.S. is about $4,000. If a person lived in a skilled facility or hospice for one year, their long-term care cost would be about $43,000. According to a report by Health Affairs, an average of $1 billion per year is spent on prescription painkillers and rehabilitation therapies such as physical therapy and massage for pain management in the United States.
2. Reducing travel costs
According to a study published in the journal Pain, long-distance travel to and from a chronic pain management center is every day among people with chronic Pain that live far away from a suitable facility. If a person had to travel twice per month, this would amount to $1,694 in travel costs per year. In the United Kingdom, a person on long-term disability with chronic Pain would pay about $4,500 for transportation costs if they lived in a small city.
3. Reducing medical costs
The annual cost of prescription medications for chronic pain sufferers may range from $1,600 to $6,000 annually. The average cost for medical care in the U.S. is about $160 per month compared to an average of $90 per month in Canada, according to a report from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
The price tag of Chronic Pain is substantial. The WHO reports that chronic Pain costs the world $635 billion each year; the NIH estimates that chronic Pain costs the U.S. about $600 billion each year in lost productivity and medical expenses; and a 2014 report from Health Affairs states that the cost of treating chronic Pain in the U.S. is about $635 billion annually.
Related Blog Topic: How to Deal With the Medical Care Costs of Chronic Illnesses
Authored by Brittany Cotton
Published by International Pain Foundation, iPain Blog, Team iPain
