OBJECTIVES: Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a highly prevalent cardiac arrhythmia with considerable clinical and economic burden. This analysis aimed to compare the total one-year costs of AFib ablation with a radiofrequency (RF) contact force-sensing (CF) catheter to those with cryoballoon (CB) when used alone or with RF ablation. METHODS: The model used the results of a propensity score analysis of the Premier Healthcare database that investigated the index procedure hospital costs, 4-12 month readmission rates, and readmission costs for CF, CB alone, and CB with RF ablation (Pollak 2018). The model calculated the difference in total annual treatment cost of index procedures and readmissions between CF and CB alone, and CF and CB with RF ablation. RESULTS: Total annual index-procedure and readmission costs were lower with CF compared to both CB alone and CB with RF. For 350 index procedures, CF ablation provided potential cost savings of $914,983 annually compared to CB alone and $996,500 compared to CB with RF. Index procedure accounted for 61% and readmission for 39% of the total cost savings of CF compared to CB alone. In contrast, index procedure accounted for 84% and readmission for 16% of the total cost savings of CF compared to CB with RF. In the CF versus CB alone comparison, the model was most sensitive to the outpatient index-procedure cost of CB and least sensitive to the percentage of inpatient CB index procedures. In the CF versus CB with RF comparison, the model was most sensitive to the outpatient index-procedure cost of CB with RF and least sensitive to the percentage of inpatient CF index procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Potential annual treatment costs of AFib catheter ablation were substantially lower with CF compared to both CB alone and CB with RF ablation. Cost savings were derived from both index procedures and readmissions.