A surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations among unvaccinated adults has cost the U.S. health system $2.3 billion in June and July, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.
For the analysis, Kaiser Family Foundation analyzed CDC data on hospitalizations of adults with COVID-19 because many children still are ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Kaiser Family Foundation found that there were 37,000 preventable COVID-19 hospitalizations in June and 76,000 in July among unvaccinated U.S. adults.
With COVID-19 hospitalizations costing on average an estimated $20,000 each, Kaiser Family Foundation said these hospitalizations have cost the U.S. health system billions of dollars since the beginning of June and were largely avoidable.
"The monetary cost of treating unvaccinated people for COVID-19 is borne not only by patients but also by society more broadly, including taxpayer-funded public programs and private insurance premiums paid by workers, businesses, and individual purchasers," Kaiser Family Foundation said.