From 2009 to 2011, the average cost of an ambulatory care visit for patients with a spine condition was $3,077, according to The Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States.
Here are key statistics on the cost of care for spine conditions.
1. The overall direct per-person healthcare cost for spine conditions was $8,150, a 69 percent increase from 1996 to 1998.
2. From 2009 to 2011, the total aggregate direct cost for spine conditions in the U.S. was $253 billion, up 91 percent from 1996 to 1998 when the direct cost was $132.4 billion.
3. The breakdown of the direct cost from 2009 to 2011 is:
• Ambulatory care: 38 percent
• Inpatient care: 28 percent
• Prescriptions: 21 percent
• Other healthcare costs: 13 percent
4. The incremental aggregate direct costs reached $46.4 billion in 2009 to 2011, an 82 percent increase over 1996 to 2011.