ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION REPORT FINDS STATE MEDICAID COSTS FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY IN ALL STATES INCLUDING THIRTY-FOUR PERCENT IN OHIO OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS

The Alzheimer’s Association’s new report, The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on Medicaid Costs: A Growing Burden for States, released today, found that between 2015 and 2025, Medicaid costs for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will increase in every state in the U.S. and the District of Columbia. In fact, by 2025, 35 states will see increases in Alzheimer’s Medicaid costs of at least 40 percent from 2015, including 22 states that will see increases of at least 50 percent.

In Ohio, Medicaid spending on people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias will increase thirty-four percent by 2025. This year, spending will total $2.2 billion, increasing to $2.9 billion in 2025. Approximately eleven percent of the 2015 Medicaid budget in Ohio is spent on people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

In 2015, Medicaid costs for seniors living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will exceed $1 billion in 11 states including Ohio. By 2025, 20 states will have over $1 billion in Medicaid spending for this population.

Seniors with Alzheimer’s and other dementias rely on Medicaid, which is funded by state and federal governments, at a rate nearly three times greater than other seniors due to the long duration of the disease, the intense personal care needs and the high cost of long-term care services. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, by the age of 80, 75 percent of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias will be admitted to a nursing home, compared with just four percent of the general population.

With the quickly rising Medicaid costs for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, Ohio needs a comprehensive review of state preparedness to meet the immediate and future care needs of people affected by this devastating disease.

Alzheimer’s is a triple threat, with soaring prevalence, lack of treatment and enormous costs that no one can afford. Barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, stop or slow Alzheimer’s disease, state governments must anticipate the demands of long-term care on their Medicaid budgets.

“As these data clearly point out, action must be taken now to rein in – and eventually end - the Alzheimer’s epidemic. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on Congress to continue its commitment to the fight against Alzheimer’s by increasing federal funding for Alzheimer’s research by $300 million in fiscal year 2016,” said Nancy Udelson, President and CEO, Cleveland Area Chapter.

To read the full report findings, visit alz.org/trajectory.

Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.