COVID-19 hospitalization costs could reach $17B this year

Editor's Note

A new Avalere analysis estimates the cost of COVID-19 hospitalizations could range between $9.6 billion and nearly $17 billion this year, depending on infection and hospitalization trends, the June 23 Fierce Healthcare reports.

The analysis considers the cost of hospitalizations in three scenarios:

• $9.6 billion, if there is a continued decline of cases
• $13 billion, if there is a slow decline of cases
• $17 billion, if there is a second surge of cases.

The analysis also found that Medicare and commercial plans will bear much of the cost because they would have the most beneficiaries hospitalized because of COVID-19.