Costs and financing. A cost calculation of an up-to-date eye bank in Germany.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the averaged cost of processing a corneal graft for keratoplasty.


METHODS
We estimated the total running costs of a German corneal bank for one year. All procurement-related expenses were calculated on the basis of 300 donors per year and a disavowal percentage of 50%.


RESULTS
The running costs comprise of personnel (2 physicians, 2 technicians), amortization of equipment, laboratory costs, laboratory consumables, occupancy costs and quality management. Annual expenses total 584000 EUR. This aggregation divided by 300 corneal grafts released for transplantation results in a nominal charge of 1950 EUR per corneal graft.


CONCLUSIONS
The DRG system in Germany (in-patients at a base rate of 1.0) refunds only 850 EUR, leaving a financial gap of 1100 EUR per keratoplasty. This financial burden is currently left over to the eye bank and/or the surgeon.
Böhringer
D
D
Maier
P
P
Sundmacher
R
R
Reinhard
T
T
D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000191:economics; D005125:Eye Banks / Q000191:economics*; D005378:Financial Support; D005858:Germany; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000191:economics; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000191:economics