U.S. Spends $34,000 a Year on Each Sick AIDS Patient

Caring for each patient in the advanced stages of AIDS costs an average of $34,000 a year in the United States, according to the first comprehensive analysis, which was released Wednesday at the 14th International AIDS Conference. Michael Saag of the University of Alabama told the conference that antiretroviral medicines make up the largest part of the cost. His examination of annual health care costs of nearly 700 patients over two years found the cost of treating a well patient with HIV averages $14,000, compared to $34,000 for someone who is sick. Medication costs were about $11,000-$24,000. Hospital costs were second, ranging from an average of $1,700 for early stage patients to $7,800 for those with advanced AIDS.

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