Trump’s medical bill would cost an average American citizen at least $100k, report says

Hefty cost of president’s treatment covered by federal government

Donald Trump's medical treatment for coronavirus would have cost more than $100,000 in the American health system, a report by The New York Times has said.

According to calculations by the newspaper, the president’s arrival and departure by helicopter, multiple coronavirus tests, oxygen, steroids and an experimental antibody treatment would have amounted to tens of thousands to any normal citizen.

As the president, the cost of Mr Trump’s treatment are covered by the federal government. 

While the newspaper said that the largest expense for the president would have been his helicopter rides to and from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, but other parts of his treatment also usually carry a heavy price tag.

Repeated coronavirus testing that the president has received may have been the second biggest financial cost, The Times said. 

Although tests usually cost $100, the price can fluctuate and about 2.4 per cent of tests paid by insurers leave some form of payment to the patient, according to the outlet.

Remdesivir the new coronavirus treatment created by Gilead that the president received costs $3,120 when purchased by private insurers and $2,340 with public programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Regeneron, the antibody cocktail given to the president does not currently carry a charge due as it is only currently available for clinical trial participants or compassionate use.

The financial impacts of the coronavirus disease have impacted many Americans across the nation, with costs for hospitalisation and life-saving treatment skyrocketing into the thousands.

The 74-year-old president, who left the hospital on Monday, argued that “we have the best medical equipment” and so people should not be afraid.

“Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it,” he continued. Don't let it dominate," he added.

The Times reported that the median charge for a coronavirus hospitalisation for a patient over 60 is $61,912, according to data from the claims database, FAIR Health. The same organisation estimated that the median amount paid is $31,575.  

That amount would vary between patients depending on treatment and healthcare plans.

In March analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that the average cost of Covid-19 treatment for someone with employer insurance, and without complications, would be about $9,763. Someone whose treatment has complications may see bills escalate to around $20,292.

Coronavirus patients, through a series of federal aid packages, are supposed to be largely exempt from paying for the bulk of their care to prevent Americans from amassing large sums.

However, there have been reports that some people have still been saddled with huge bills due to disqualifications, hospitals and other medical providers choosing not to participate in aid programmes, and cases where patients received treatment before aid was passed.

More than 7.53 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus in the US since the outbreak began in March, leading to the deaths of over 211,000 Americans.