Stroke Treatment, Not Neuroimaging, Drives Stroke Hospital Cost Growth
Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy InstituteA study by the Neiman Health Policy Institute found that the costs of an Ischemic Stroke episode increased 4.9% from 2012 to 2019. However, the main driver of those costs was changes in treatments, such as endovascular thrombectomy and intravenous thrombolysis; increases in various types of neuroimaging were not key cost drivers. Over the study period, the share of episodes with treatment increased 155% from 7.3% to 18.5%. There were increases of 80% and 476% in the number of episodes with IVT-only or EVT.