Over 1.3 million people in North America are affected by spinal cord injury, and their care is complex and expensive New research shows disparities in insurance status and the timing of withdrawal from life support for these patients More study needs to be done to understand these disparities, and to eliminate them MONDAY, Aug. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The care of people seriously harmed by spinal cord injury can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a new analysis suggests that ability to pay influences how long a patient remains on life support.
In a study of more than 8,400 U.S. adults with severe spinal cord injury, "uninsured patients had greater odds of withdrawal of life-supporting treatment," compared to those who had private insurance, researchers said.
The findings were published recently in the journal JAMA Surgery . According to background information in the study, an estimated 1.3 million people in North America have been affected by a spinal cord injury, which can often result in irreversible paralysis.
Other medical issues, such as trouble with respiration, can also occur. Caring for these individuals can require a large staff and complex, expensive technologies. All of that can mean big medical bills: "In the U.
S., the cost of acute care for spinal cord injury has been estimated to be between $92,220 and $337,400, with the higher end of the range reported to correspond to higher neurologic levels of injury." The new study was led by Dr.
Christopher Wi.