New report reveals care costs for people with Alzheimer'​s and other dementias reach $200 billion

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Alzheimer's Association

Medicare costs for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are three times higher than for older people without these conditions. Medicaid costs are 19 times higher. These are just a few of the sobering statistics featured in the Alzheimer’s Association® 2012 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, which captures the rapidly escalating impact of the Alzheimer’s epidemic.

While care costs for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are significant to the nation, the newly released report also illustrates the burden of the disease on caregivers. More than 15 million friends and family members provide 17.4 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $210 billion. Other key statistics include:

5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 5.2 million people age 65 or older and 200,000 people under the age of 65.

By 2025, as many as 6.7 million people will be living with Alzheimer’s, and by midcentury up to 16 million could have the disease. As the baby boomers age, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease will continue to soar and so will the costs to the nation. This includes a 500% increase in combined Medicare and Medicaid spending and a 400% increase in out-of-pocket costs for families.

1 out of 7 people with Alzheimer’s lives alone and up to half of these individuals do not have an identifiable caregiver.