Medical Costs After Boston Bombing Could Tally Into Millions
Boston -- with its many centrally located medical facilities -- was primed to care for the victims of this week's Boston Marathon bombing. In the meantime, the medical bills for the trauma care given after the bombing could tally into the millions, some estimate.
Politico: 'Medical Mecca' Boston Was Equipped For Mass Trauma
Here's an unsettling thought: Monday's Boston Marathon carnage could've been a whole lot worse if it had happened almost anywhere else. But the bombings happened in the heart of a world-class medical cluster. And local hospitals were already bracing for a flood of patients -- though they were expecting dehydrated runners, not blast and burn victims, some of whom had lost limbs (Cheney, 4/18).
NBC News: Vitals: Bomb's Medical Costs Could Be In The Millions, Experts Say
As surgeons and physicians worked to mend nearly 70 hospitalized victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, a new toll emerged: The total medical costs inflicted by the attack may eventually reach or surpass $9 million, according to a rough calculation. The precise health-care price tag won’t be fully known for months as some of the injured, particularly those who lost limbs, undergo extended rehabilitation (which can cost more than $200 per hour) to re-learn walking. … A blend of million-dollar donations, Massachusetts' mandatory health insurance -- and perhaps an agreement by Boston hospitals and insurance providers to eat some bills -- may compose the safety net that ultimately covers the staggering medical costs, say mass casualty experts (Briggs, 4/17).
