Gun injuries cost more than $1 billion a year to treat in hospitals: Report

Gun injuries result in more than $1 billion in hospital costs each year, according to a new eye-opening report.

Gun-inflicted injuries result in more than $1 billion in hospital costs each year and programs like Medicaid end up picking up most of the tab, according to a new report. The report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office was requested by House and Senate Democrats and sheds a light on the financial devastation gun violence wreaks. The report found there are about 30,000 hospital stays and 50,000 emergency room visits annually to treat firearm injuries, following an analysis of most recent hospital data available from 2016 and 2017. Public coverage programs such as Medicaid accounted for more than 60% of the costs of care, the report found.