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Alzheimers Costs Medicare/Medicaid $50 Billion in 2000

Thu, 04/05/2001 - 12:00am — Karen Stevenson
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The Alzheimers Association recently released a research report showing that the cost to the US government's Medicare and Medicaid programs for Alzheimers was $50 billion -- $32 billion for Medicare and $18 billion for Medicaid. They predict that the cost to the Medicare program alone for Alzheimers would reach $50 billion by 2010, along with a $33 billion cost to the Medicaid program and another $50 billion cost to beneficiaries, for a total cost in the US of about $133 billion.

The report points out several factors behind these high costs. For instance, patients with dementia are more likely to have preventable medical crises caused by their impaired judgment and inability to manage their own care. Alzheimers is also a significant cause of the burgeoning cost of the Medicaid program. Half of all nursing home residents have dementia, often with lengthy stays that are paid for by Medicaid.

The report was done by the Lewin Group, and was presented in a Senate hearing this week. The association urged Congress to double spending on Alzheimers research to $1 billion a year to prevent a situation which has the potential to bankrupt the Medicare and Medicaid programs. They warned Congress that these costs will sky-rocket even further in the future as baby-boomers age and start becoming eligible for Medicare in 2010.

The Alzheimers Association recently released a research report showing that the cost to the US government's Medicare and Medicaid programs for Alzheimers was $50 billion -- $32 billion for Medicare and $18 billion for Medicaid. They predict that the cost to the Medicare program alone for Alzheimers would reach $50 billion by 2010, along with a $33 billion cost to the Medicaid program and another $50 billion cost to beneficiaries, for a total cost in the US of about $133 billion.

The report points out several factors behind these high costs. For instance, patients with dementia are more likely to have preventable medical crises caused by their impaired judgment and inability to manage their own care. Alzheimers is also a significant cause of the burgeoning cost of the Medicaid program. Half of all nursing home residents have dementia, often with lengthy stays that are paid for by Medicaid.

The report was done by the Lewin Group, and was presented in a Senate hearing this week. The association urged Congress to double spending on Alzheimers research to $1 billion a year to prevent a situation which has the potential to bankrupt the Medicare and Medicaid programs. They warned Congress that these costs will sky-rocket even further in the future as baby-boomers age and start becoming eligible for Medicare in 2010.