The cost of Alzheimer's disease in managed care: a cross-sectional study.

摘要: BACKGROUND The number of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is expected to grow as the US population ages. Given increasing enrollment in managed care organizations, growth patients AD a certainty. To our knowledge, no study date has focused on cost community-dwelling receiving through health maintenance organization (HMO) system. METHODS One hundred and fifty were recruited from 4 sites July December 1996. Staff at each site clinically confirmed patients' diagnosis, severity, ascertained comorbidities. Demographic, quality life, service utilization data collected proxy respondents. Costs hospitalization, medications, doctor visits (formal costs), caregiver assistance (informal costs) analyzed separately. RESULTS average total informal) per-patient costs settings 1996 $18,804. increased cognitive impairment. For mild, moderate, severe AD, annual $14,904, $19,272, $25,860, respectively. Annual direct $5520, $7044 $10,992, CONCLUSION Across all severity levels, we calculated $8.8 billion for enrollees older than 65 years United States. We did not estimate these younger because variability prevalence estimates. Due more interventions that would reverse or delay progression may result significant savings.