Average total cost, sometimes referred to as the per unit total cost, is the per unit cost. This includes fixed costs, those costs that are required for production but do not change based on output, and variable costs, those costs that increase (or decrease) as output increases (or decreases).
The basic stress test involves walking on a treadmill while your electrocardiogram (EKG) is continuously monitored for changes that may indicate a blocked artery to the heart. However, there are options if you are unable to walk on a treadmill or if your EKG is already abnormal at rest. The existing options include: imaging stress tests -- echocardiographic or nuclear -- and pharmacologic stress tests -- adenosine and dobutamine.
I often will explain to middle aged patients that no, they don't need a stress test. A basic exercise EKG costs about $200. Some doctors use a nuclear stress test in which a radioactive dye illuminates how well the heart is working. Those tests are priced at an average of $630. According to the American College of Cardiology, stress tests should only be performed on patients who have peripheral artery disease, diabetics over age 40 and people who have an increased risk of coronary artery disease.