Gun Shot Injury Costs are Twice Other Hospital Costs

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run75441
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This is where I grow weary of the childish complaints of those who believe their rights are being infringed upon by those who are injured, maimed, or killed by bullet-spewing-weapons commonly known as “guns.”

“Stanley Kubrick satirized the unconscious psychosexual energies behind wielding a gun in Full Metal Jacket, when Marine recruits parade with their weapons doing this chant of ‘This is my rifle, this is my gun, this is for fighting, this is for fun.’ They seize their crotches at ‘gun’ and ‘fun.'” 

Why am I (run75441) thinking of it? Because of hearing all the feeble comments from the whiners about restrictions. The author of the above paragraph talks about more things getting him angry. When this was written, The Batman massacre in Aurora, Colorado happened the night before he saw The Dark Knight Rises (his tickets bought in advance). Then the massacre of Sikh people in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, the before the day he was writing this August 7, 2012.

Over 10 years later, this is still a discussion.

“The Economic Toll of Gun Violence,” Joint Economic Committee – Democrats

Gun violence is associated with significant health care costs, both in the immediate aftermath and in the long-term, due to the physical and mental tolls that it causes. A study by the Government Accountability Office found that each year firearm-related injuries cause 30,000 initial in-patient hospital stays that cost an average of $31,000 each and 50,000 initial emergency room visits costing an average of $1,500 each. A total annual cost of over $1 billion. This is likely a significant underestimate because it does not include physician costs, which could increase total costs by about 20%.

Gun injuries put enormous financial burdens on survivors and health care providers. For those who required initial hospital care and survived their injuries, up to 16% may require re-admittance at least once in the first-year post-injury. The reentry costing an additional $8,000 to $11,000 per patient. Gun-related survivor injuries see their health care spending increase by nearly $2,500 per month on average for the year following the injury, with spending soaring by over S25,000 in the first month alone.

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found:

There is no complete information on the health care costs of firearm injuries. National data allow for estimates of the costs of initial hospital treatment and some first-year costs. Less is known about costs the more time passes from the injury. Examining available data and information. Much of the lack of information is due to a lack of studies over twenty years due to Congress blocking such in the Dickey amendment to Appropriation bills.

Initial hospital costs: In the most recent hospital data (2016 and 2017), the GAO estimates the initial hospital costs of firearm injuries were just over $1 billion annually. Uncaptured physician costs in the data dump could add ~ 20 percent more to the total. The GAO also found in each year there were ~ 30,000 inpatient stays and ~ 50,000 emergency department initial visits treating firearm injuries. Patients with Medicaid and other public coverage accounted for over 60% of the costs of this care.

First-year costs: Findings from health care costs studies within the first year of hospital discharge after a firearm injury suggest those costs can be significant. Studies estimating first-year hospital readmissions costs found that up to 16% of firearm injury survivors with an initial inpatient stay were readmitted at least once for their injury, with average costs of $8,000 to $11,000 per patient.

Long-term costs: Less is known about the costs of health care for firearm injuries beyond the first year after hospital discharge. GAO identified studies that estimated lifetime costs of these injuries, but the estimates relied on data from over 20 years ago, making them no longer a reliable indicator of costs.

The reduction of funding in 1996 was the result of the of the Dickey Amendment which was a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012. There was never a formal vote on the Amendment. The CDC was limited as to what studies it could accomplish after the elimination of funds for the “collection of data so that they can advocate gun control” according to Dickey. The NRA and Republicans will deny there was any studies blocked or denied with the passage of the Dickey Amendment.

The action of making it an amendment to the CAA Act of 2012 is very similar to Upton’s addition of one section in Section 227 to the 2015 Cromnibus appropriations bill. The former killed any action by the CDC to study violence resulting from guns. The later caused healthcare insurance companies to withdraw from the ACA market, Coops to go bankrupt, people uninsured, and rates to increase.

The Clinical experts the GAO met with described a wide range in both physical and behavioral health care needs for firearm injury survivors after hospital discharge. Some survivors needing lifelong care. Others not needing as much. The experts also told GAO survivors often face barriers to receiving needed care. They could be denied care when it is not covered by their insurance. Not receiving needed services may minimize costs initially; but the consequences of unmet health needs for firearm injury survivors may ultimately result in greater costs.

“Firearm Injuries: Healthcare Service Needs and Costs,” GAO-21-515

“How The NRA Worked To Stifle Gun Violence Research:” NPR

“This Is My Rifle, This Is My Gun,” Viet Thanh Nguyen, vietnguyen.info