No one wants to get hurt from a fall. Unfortunately fall-related injuries happen WAY too often.
According to the CDC, more than 1 in 4 (so close to 50%) of adults over 60 have a fall each year, and of those falls 1 in 5 will result in a serious injury! The most serious of all being death, which has increased by 30% over a 10 year span!
What is the cost a fall-related injury?
While it’s impossible to tell exact figures on a per/person basis because of different health insurance policies, different injuries and the extent of those injuries, our hope is to give you a ballpark of costs.
Again, from the CDC, in 2015 fall-related medical costs in the US were $50 billion! Medicaid and Medicare covered about 75% of that. That’s $12.5 BILLION in out-of-pocket costs.
What does that look like on a per-fall basis? Here’s an estimate:
- Doctor/hospital visit costs
- $25-100 (depending on deductible)
- Imaging (x-ray/MRI)
- $50-500 depending on plan and covered expenses
- CAT scans-this is because most often when falling you hit your head and they are concerned about head/brain bleeding/trauma.
- $50-1000 depending
- Surgery/surgeon fees/anesthesiology/etc.
- $250-10000
- Non-surgical approach (rehab, office visits)
- $250-500 (or about $25-50 per appointment copay for at least 10 visits
- Time lost wishing you could do other things while you heal
- 3-9 months
- Time and opportunity lost from being afraid
- $$$$$$ and years and years
Total costs?
More than you want to deal with!
What if there were an alternative that had the best track record of preventing falls and injuries from falls at a fraction of the price AND time?
Would it be worth it to save thousands of dollars, hours, heartache, pain, and disability?
There are so many ways to address this from exercises, to improving balance. But more needs to be done.
Winter is coming. Don’t get caught out in the cold and ice without a solid plan for avoiding and preventing falls.