$36 Billion Charged for Blood Tests and Transfusions for U.S. Premature Infa...( In the Unite...),Health

In the United States alone, an estimated $25.7 billion U.S. dollars are charged to insurance providers and payers to perform blood panels assessing organ maturity on the 542,893 premature infants born each year. Additionally, an estimated $10.8 billion U.S. dollars is charged for blood transfusions required by performing these blood panels. Together, these total $36.6 billion U.S. dollars charged for blood tests and transfusions initially performed in the first two weeks of life for premature infants.

(PRWEB) November 4, 2009 -- NanoStar™ Health Corporation today announced that an estimated $25.7 billion U.S. dollars are charged to insurance providers and payers to perform blood panels assessing organ maturity on the 542,893 premature infants born in the United States per year. Additionally, the method of collecting the blood for these tests is the number one cause of anemia in these sick babies, thereby requiring an additional $10.8 billion U.S. dollars in blood transfusions. Together, these total $36.6 billion U.S. dollars charged for blood tests and transfusions initially performed in the first two weeks of life for these premature infants.

“Because these infants are premature, their organs are not fully developed, which places them at risk for maldevelopment or malfunction and susceptibility to the external world via infections and other health risks. It is key to assess their metabolic health in order to determine the best strategies for keeping these sick infants alive while they continue to develop to term,” said Michael D. Black, MD, MBA, renowned congenital cardiac surgeon and Chief Medical Officer of NanoStar Health. “Sadly, today this is done by sticking the baby’s heel with a scalpel to collect and analyze a blood sample every four to six hours during the first two weeks of the child’s life. This method is not only a source of severe trauma, wh
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