Alzheimer's as Economic Threat
Without decisive political action, the economic consequences of Alzheim-er's disease could dwarf the current economic crisis, according to the final report of the Alzheimer's Study Group, which Congress created in 2007 and included politicians, advocates, physicians, and researchers. The group's “National Alzheimer's Strategic Plan” calls for reengineering dementia care delivery and more research focused on delaying and preventing Alzheimer's disease. It also calls on Medicare to increasingly reimburse physicians for dementia care according to the quality of their work. By 2016, these “value-based payments” should cover half of all dementia care, said the group cochaired by former House speaker Newt Gingrich and former senator Bob Kerrey. The Alzheimer's Association praised the strategic plan for bringing attention to the “looming national crisis” created by the condition. “An investment in Alzheimer's is not only good social policy, it is an economic necessity,” said Harry Johns, president and CEO of the association.
Dementias Three Times as Costly
In a separate report, the Alzheimer's Association said that Medicare pays out three times as much for the care of beneficiaries with dementias, averaging $15,000 annually, as it does for people who are free of the brain diseases. The association estimated that 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, 500,000 new cases will emerge in 2010, and that the toll will rise to a million new cases annually by 2050. From 2000 to 2006, Alzheimer's disease deaths rose 47%, whereas deaths from other major diseases declined. The disease is also taxing family members, who care for 70% of people with Alzheimer's. For example, a survey in Washington State found that half of caregivers said that stress was their greatest difficulty.
Bill Seeks to Speed Neuro Research
Federal lawmakers are turning their attention to neurologic research, citing the $1 trillion annual economic burden of brain and central nervous system conditions. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) introduced the National Neurotechnology Initiative Act of 2009 in the House (H.R. 1483) and Senate (S. 586) in March. The bill would increase funding to the National Institutes of Health, coordinate neurologic research across federal agencies, and streamline the approval process for neurologic drugs at the Food and Drug Administration. “With mental health parity now law, we are moving in the direction of bringing greater attention to brain-related illness,” Rep. Kennedy said in a statement.
Stem Cells Could Spur Business
President Obama's recent executive order lifting certain restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research could result not only in new therapies, but also in a new and profitable worldwide market. If stem cell therapies emerge, regulatory acceptance comes quickly, and insurers cover the therapies, the market for stem cell treatments could grow to $500 million by 2013, according to Kalorama Information, a life science market research firm. That's nearly 30 times the size of the stem cell market in 2008, according to Kalorama's estimates.
MS Repository Is Expanding
The Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis has added a new collection site for multiple sclerosis blood samples and data. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston will join academic and research institutions in Massachusetts, Maryland, Texas, New York, Arizona, Ohio, and Georgia partnering with the national nonprofit organization. The repositories, intended to support research in genetics, nutrition, virology, and other areas, contain samples and information from not only people with multiple sclerosis, but also those with certain other rare neurologic disorders.
Painkiller Admissions on Rise
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that the proportion of treatment admissions attributable to prescription painkiller misuse rose from 1% in 1997 to 5% in 2007. The data come from the Treatment Episode Data Set 2007 Highlights report, which also found that alcohol-related admissions still predominate but have declined from 50% to 40% over the 10-year period. Heroin-treatment admissions remained steady for a decade, at 14%, and methamphetamine admissions hit 8% in 2007, up from 4% in 1997. The data set is not comprehensive because it comes only from state-licensed treatment facilities.
87 Million Americans Uninsured
Nearly 87 million Americans—1 out of 3 people under age 65—were uninsured at some point during 2007–2008, according to a report from the advocacy group Families USA. More than half of individuals and families with incomes between the federal poverty level and twice the poverty level—between $21,200 and $42,400 in annual income for a family of four in 2008—went without health insurance at some point in 2007–2008, the report said. In addition, most of those who went uninsured did so for extended periods: Almost two-thirds were uninsured for 9 months or more. Four of five of the uninsured were in working families, and most of these families included someone employed full time, the report said.