The Cost of Firearm Injuries

Politico reported on the deadly cost of guns. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office determined the health care costs for firearm-related injuries. The cost exceeds $1 billion annually with Medicaid paying the vast majority. Gun violence accounts for 30,000 hospital admissions including 50,000 emergency room visits annually.

The true annual health costs of gun use are likely much higher than $1 billion. Other independent studies have estimated a total yearly cost as high as $2.8 billion.

The victims receiving medical care for gun injuries are disproportionately male, Black, poor and live in the South. The victims often receive worse treatment “because of racial bias in the health care system.”