Tays Heart Hospital replaces €25,000 TAVI fee with monthly, outcome‑linked payments

Tays Heart Hospital will replace the €25,000 one‑off charge for TAVI valve implants with a monthly, outcome‑linked billing model, Tamperelainen reports.

The lifecycle model was piloted in Tampere and Orivesi in 2022 and expanded to Pirkanmaa, Central Finland and Kanta‑Häme in 2024. It treats the implanted prosthetic valve as a monthly fee for as long as it continues to provide health benefit, linking payments to patient quality of life as measured by the 15D questionnaire. Providers face incentives or penalties tied to outcomes.

A peer‑reviewed study involving researchers from the University of Helsinki found the pilot produced notable savings during the first four years but projected higher total costs over ten years. That led to price revisions, which will also be applied to earlier TAVI procedures.

The Heart Hospital performs about 300 TAVI procedures a year. The conventional procedure, including hospital days, costs roughly €25,000. Medical director Markku Eskola says outcome‑based care must be tested and evaluated over the long term to balance patient benefit and financial sustainability.