CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) -A new estimate shows that the unvaccinated cost the U.S. health care system between $3.7 billion and $5.7 billion over a three-month period.

That figure comes from the Kaiser Family Foundation, which determined the average cost of a COVID-19 hospitalization compared with how many instances the Centers for Disease Control and Control said a person’s time in the hospital could have been avoided had they had the vaccine.

The average hospital stay costs approximately $20,000 based on Medicare and hospital data averages. Any use of a ventilator dramatically increased the cost of a hospital stay.

The CDC concluded that approximately 287,000, or 84%, of hospitalizations could have been avoided if the person got their COVID-19 shot.

Kaiser even states that this is a conservative estimate. The real number is expected to be billions more due to the increased costs of hospital stays with ventilators and the cost of outpatient COVID-19 treatment

A growing talking point in the debate about mandating COVID-19 vaccines is the financial costs associated with the unvaccinated.

Delta Airlines made headlines by announcing it would charge unvaccinated employees using the company’s health insurance program $200 a month.

The company’s CEO cited that the average COVID-19-related hospital stay for an unvaccinated employee cost Delta $50,000.

Since it is illegal to charge the unvaccinated more in insurance premiums, taxpayers and employers are taking on some of the costs that are left on the table.

Delta’s financial penalty appears to be working.

Delta’s chief health officer reported that since the surcharge was announced, 20% of their unvaccinated employees got the shot.

The insurance company Breeze surveyed Americans and asked if higher insurance premiums would make them more likely to get the COVID-19 shot. 31% of the unvaccinated said yes.