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jeffbee

This is incredible technology. But I am crying in American at "Each transplant costs around £30,000, he says."

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That seems extraordinarily affordable for a permanent, life-altering operation that needs 30 medics and takes 17 hours.

For a comparison, check out what a 1-month supply of a biologic drug costs: https://www.goodrx.com/stelara

It will not be permanent, she can have two babies but they will remove the womb afterwards

The think that was the point, it's unimaginable that something like that could only cost 30k in the US.

I'll raise you for the cost of a single dose of Pluvicto:

https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/pluvicto

Is this permanent? I thought transplanted uteruses were usually removed after birth.

It's part of a clinical trial, and the staff donated their time, so I don't think that number tells you anything meaningful about what it would normally cost.

Only a low multiple of IVF treatment, remarkable!

Completely dwarfed by the total cost of raising a child. It’s a surprisingly expensive hobby.

Yea but in america such a transplant probably costs 300k just to go to the hospital ez

prob also raising a child way expensier if you factor uni and such into it vs UK

I don't think anyone in America is actually paying a bill for $300,000 for a transplant. It's either paid for by insurance, or if someone doesn't have insurance, via hospital charity or a state medical aid plan. The only exception would be an absurdly rich person who doesn't have insurance.

Why would insurance cover a womb transplant?

Presumably if the need is due to illness

Insurance often covers IVF

Only in some states, under some circumstances, and not necessarily completely.

Would insurance cover a transplant that isn't necessary for survival?

They cover cornea transplants, which are necessary for sight.

But they tend not to cover fertility stuff.

Don’t worry, our current President promises to be the “fertilisation President” and is pushing to cover IVF and other fertility treatments mandatory on isursnfr.

Don't forget the people who don't have insurance and are too poor to pay for the treatment, those suckers.

If someone is low income and doesn’t have insurance, they should apply for state Medicaid or other assistance programs. These programs exist and are very helpful.

While yes they should, that is still going to be minimal coverage that doesn't cover tons of stuff, especially something like voluntary uterus transplant.

It varies by state, but in some Medicaid is some of the best coverage you can get. (I have a personal mission to dispel the myth that poor Americans can't access health care, because often they can - and spreading the idea they can't leads to adverse health outcomes.) Specifically, patients aren't ever charged for anything.

Uterus transplants are still experimental. The only ones I could find in the U.S. are in clinical trials and are being paid for by the institution to people accepted into the program, such as the one at John Hopkins.

There are not gynecologists (yet) charging $200,000 for uterus transplants in America.

“American health care is incredibly expensive.”

“That’s ok, other people bear the enormous cost.”

Not really a win, that.

That’s not how it works! The bill of $300k gets negotiated down to like $20k.

The negotiated rate is still super high. There are procedures where it costs less to fly overseas and get it done self-pay than the out-of-pocket cost with insurance in the US.

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