Alzheimer's Costs

Alzheimer's Costs in Billions and Counting

By Todd Neale, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today

Published: March 08, 2012

This year, the bill for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in the U.S. will reach an estimated $200 billion, according to a report from the Alzheimer's Association.

That total includes the direct costs of caring for patients, including healthcare, long-term care, and hospice.

Roughly half will be paid by Medicare ($104.5 billion), with the rest covered by Medicaid ($33.5 billion), out-of-pocket spending ($33.8 billion), and other sources ($26.2 billion), which includes private insurance, health maintenance organizations, other managed care organizations, and uncompensated care.

In the absence of advances in prevention and treatment, the cost of caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias could reach $1.1 trillion (in 2012 dollars) by 2050, a trend driven by an aging population, according to the report./.../