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.
