How Much Does Getting a Pacemaker Cost?

What is a pacemaker? 

A pacemaker is a small medical device — usually smaller than a matchbox — that a cardiologist implants into your chest. They wire it up to your heart to help manage heart issues, like an irregular heartbeat. When your heart isn’t beating quite right, like too fast or too slow, the pacemaker sends an electrical impulse to correct the rate or rhythm.  

You might be a good candidate for a pacemaker if you have a form of arrhythmia (a heart rate that isn’t normal or consistent), heart disease, or another condition that affects your heartbeat. If you have one of these conditions, without a pacemaker, you could be at a higher-than-usual risk of cardiac arrest and sudden death. 

What happens when you get a pacemaker? 

While adding a little tech to your heart might seem like a big change, it’s actually only considered a minor surgery. Depending on your situation, it could be over in as few as 45 minutes or take a little longer, like up to three hours. 

To get started, you’ll get some local anaesthetic injected into your upper chest. Then, your cardiologist will make a cut below your collarbone. This is to create a small pocket to slip your pacemaker in. With the pacemaker in place, they’ll then do a little cable management, passing electrical leads through a vein to your heart. Then it’s simply a matter of stitching you back up and letting you get some rest. 

Most patients tend to stay in hospital for 24 to 48 hours after their surgery. This gives your healthcare team a chance to monitor your heart’s electrical activity now that the pacemaker is implanted. They can also double-check your pacemaker doesn’t need any final tweaks.  

When you’re discharged, you won’t need to worry about rehab like after some other surgeries. The order of the day for a fortnight or two will be taking it easy. You may also have some antibiotics to take. Additionally, you could need to check in with your GP after the first week to update any of your regular medications and have them check that you’re healing well. 

From there, it’s business as usual until it’s time for your regular check-up with a specialist. These will typically be every six months to a year to keep an eye on your pacemaker. After all, its battery only lasts five to 15 years. The last thing you want is for it to run flat without anyone knowing. So, your specialist will check everything’s ticking along as it should or recommend you have surgery to replace the battery. 

How much does pacemaker surgery cost? 

If you choose to go through the public hospital system, Medicare will cover the costs of implanting a medically necessary pacemaker in your chest. However, you can also use your health insurance to help cover costs and get the benefits of the private hospital system.  

In 2022–23, only 57% of private patients had an out-of-pocket cost for pacemaker surgery. This cost was typically only $50. Hospital fees, like accommodation, are a bit more expensive at $17,000, but your insurer could cover some or all of these too.¹Medical Costs Finder – Pacemaker
These are the amounts patients typically paid for these services, rounded to the nearest dollar. They do not include hospital payments such as excesses, co-payments or other payments. These fees may vary depending on your situation. Not all patients had out-of-pocket costs; those who didn’t aren’t included in these figures. Data retrieved August 2024. 

And what about the pacemaker itself? Well, in August 2024, the average cost of a pacemaker was $6,414.²Department of Health and Aged Care – Prescribed List of Medical Devices and Human Tissue Products But given you’ll be using it every second of every day, it’s the kind of value your local department store can only wish it could offer. Besides, your health insurance may help pay for this too, depending on your level of cover.  

What out-of-pocket costs could there be? 

Your out-of-pocket costs and how much they are depend on your own unique circumstances, including your health needs, the cardiologist you choose, your health insurance policy and your insurer.  

For instance, you will likely have an excess to pay before your insurer will start covering your claim. Additionally, you could have a gap payment to make up the difference of what your insurer pays and what your specialist charges. Further, your policy could come with co-payments — set fees to be paid to your insurer for every day you’re in hospital. 

If you’re not keen for a surprise, you can speak to your insurer and healthcare team to get a sense of what things will cost and what will be covered. You could also check your policy documents to see what excess is listed, along with any co-payment amounts. 

Are there ongoing costs for having a pacemaker? 

The cost of a pacemaker isn’t limited to the surgery itself. While there aren’t rehabilitation costs, like seeing a physio once a week, you could still find that you need to keep paying for related medical treatments.  

For example, assuming your pacemaker’s battery lasts for 10 years and you get it checked every six months, that’s 20 appointments with your specialist that you might need to pay for.  

How long will I have to wait for a pacemaker? 

When your surgery is scheduled can depend on your circumstances and the urgency of your situation. Choosing to go public or private can also make a difference. 

In the public system in 2022–23, cardiothoracic surgeries like pacemaker implantations had a median wait time of 20 days at a national level. However, if you lived in WA or Tasmania, you could have been waiting nearly twice that long to be seen. Additionally, at a national scale, 10% of patients waited 108 days. Again, some states fared worse off. In WA, for instance, 10% of patients waited 206 days.³Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Elective surgery waiting times 2022–23 data tables 

Opting to use the private system could mean you get seen sooner, along with having the luxury of choosing your cardiologist. This could help you feel more confident about your outcome and comfortable with the procedure.  

Just remember, though, that if you’re purchasing a new health insurance policy, you’ll need to wait two months before you can start claiming a pacemaker implantation. Unless, of course, you’ve got a pre-existing condition; then you’re looking at a waiting period of a year. 

What level of health insurance do I need to cover pacemaker surgery? 

Silver and gold tier hospital cover will include pacemaker surgery. Which you prefer to get may depend on what your situation is. For instance, if you’re planning on starting a family — or expanding your existing one — a gold tier policy could also mean you’re covered for pregnancy and birth in the private system.  

Where can I find and compare health insurance? 

Implanting a pacemaker is fiddly work, but finding health insurance that covers your health needs shouldn’t be. That’s why iSelect is here to help. With us, you can compare a range of Health Insurance options from different providers online or over the phone on 1800 784 772. 

Written by

Madeline Pettet

Digital Writer (Health)

Madeline is ready to demystify the technical so customers can save and live their best lives. She’s passionate about sustainability and overall wellbeing. In her spare time, she’s staring adoringly at her cats.

Edited by

Ellie Garran

Digital Editor

As Digital Editor, Ellie is passionate about making our web content clear and simple to save iSelect customers time and effort. They also love knitting and sewing, especially with recycled materials, so you’ll probably find them in the iSelect office wearing a dress made out of a sheet.