The cost of pacemakers and other cardiac devices

Most healthcare providers consider pacemaker implantation to be a relatively minor surgery, and it’s usually priced as such. For patients privately insured for this procedure who were treated in a private hospital, around 43% had no out-of-pocket doctors’ fees for their pacemaker surgery.⁵ The typical out-of-pocket cost for the other 57% was approximately $50. While this doesn’t include hospital fees (which average around $17,000), most or all of these fees can be covered by your health fund.

While the procedure cost is quite reasonable, there may be other costs that you need to consider, which will vary based on your circumstances and policy. For example:

• Excess. An excess is only paid when you claim on your private hospital insurance. You decide what amount this excess will be (or whether you’ll pay it at all) based on the options available when choosing your hospital insurance. For example, you might choose a $250 excess, which you will be required to pay if you make a claim. The higher your excess, the lower your premiums will usually be for the same policy, and vice versa.
• Co-payment. A co-payment is a charge you may have to pay every day of your stay in the hospital to your insurer, often up to a capped amount. For example, you may pay $50 each day you’re admitted as a private hospital patient.
• Miscellaneous costs. It’s important to consider the ancillary costs of undergoing such a procedure, such as out of pocket costs, parking, babysitting or loss of income if you need to take a few weeks off work.

The average cost paid towards private patient pacemaker insertion surgery (which is typically paid by private health insurers, provided the patient has an appropriate level of cover) for accommodation, theatre and medical device fees is $17,000.⁵ Keep in mind that pacemaker costs for private patients may exceed what the fund pays and you may need to pay any gap and excess costs as well as incidentals.

Ultimately, it’s up to you whether you want to go public or private. However, the private system might be worth it if you’d like to choose your own doctor, recover in a private room (if available) and avoid the public system’s waiting lists. In short, with private health insurance, you can undertake the procedure on your terms.

If you’re trying to figure out which policies might suit your particular health needs, check our guide to the different private hospital insurance categories, which explains which tiers cover which services and can help you decide whether this purchase suits your needs.

If it’s medically necessary and you’re admitted to a public hospital as a public patient, Medicare will cover the total cost of your surgery. However, this will also mean:

• You must enter the public waiting list for this procedure, which is typically longer than the private system.
• You cannot choose your doctors (e.g. cardiologist, anaesthetist).
• You would be unlikely to have a private room during your hospital stay.

Like many cardiology procedures, people are often concerned about complications and ask if pacemaker surgery is dangerous. While all surgeries carry some degree of risk, you might be surprised to hear that pacemaker surgery is a relatively safe and non-invasive procedure.

To implant a pacemaker, a doctor will make a small incision around the collarbone to access a major vein close to the heart. They will then use an x-ray to guide the electrodes to the heart, where they will attach them to the pacemaker and heart.

The surgery typically takes one to three hours. You may be required to stay in the hospital for a day after the procedure so the doctors can monitor your heart and make any necessary adjustments to your pacemaker.³

While it’s ultimately a decision between you and your doctor, there are a few circumstances where you might want to consider a pacemaker. If you have an irregular or weak heartbeat, or you suffer from a heart disease, your doctor may recommend a pacemaker.

You’ll also want to discuss with your doctor to whether you’ll get a temporary or permanent pacemaker. This will depend on the type and severity of your condition.