costs

It’s not often that I dig into my somewhat sketchy knowledge from the Bachelor of Arts in economics I earned in 1980. Admittedly, it should really be described as ugly. Although I scrapped nearly one-third of my units of study, I still have the right in the U.K. (and perhaps…

About half of all individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) have at least one other co-occurring medical disorder, and such comorbidities add a significant economic burden for MS patients in managing their condition, according to an Italian study. These added costs result from an increase in the use of…

Under rules in the No Surprises Act, insured patients people in the U.S., including those with multiple sclerosis, should no longer receive unexpected medical bills for emergency care or for treatment from out-of-network providers at facilities in their network. The act, which became effective on Jan. 1, prohibits…

The high cost of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS), and the challenging process of insurance approval, lead to treatment gaps or alterations, increased symptoms, and sacrifices in lifestyle, a survey from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) shows. “People with MS are paying the price, not…

Prices for new multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies in the United States are decided most by competitors’ prices, and continual increases in the cost of existing treatments by concerns for company profits and future growth, a study based on”confidential” interviews with four biotech executives with experience in the MS field reports. U.S.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has criticized Biogen for the $88,000 yearly list price it placed on Vumerity (diroximel fumarate), the newly approved oral disease-modifying treatment (DMT) for relapsing multiple sclerosis. That criticism extends to repeated price increases with Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), Biogen’s similar oral DMT for…

Late-line use of H.P. Acthar Gel to treat relapses in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) is linked with lower costs than other therapies used after an initial poor response, including plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin, according to an analysis by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, the treatment’s marketer. George Wan, PhD, Mallinckrodt’s vice president and…

Relapses in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are associated with greater medical and non-medical costs, according to real-world data from two German observational studies. These findings support early treatment with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that help to control disease relapses, its researchers said, as a way of possibly reducing such economic…

The out-of-pocket costs for self-administered disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on Medicare increased more than sevenfold from 2006 to 2016, according to a new study. This was reported by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh in a…

Even at a low level of disability, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have substantial indirect and informal caregiving costs due to disease progression — with unemployment markedly adding to the economic burden, a Spanish study reports. The study, “Economic burden of multiple sclerosis in a population with low physical disability,” was published in the journal BMC Public Health. MS has significant impact on health-related quality of life, with disability and fatigue — two hallmarks of the disease — hindering patients' ability to work or study. This often results in early unemployment. As MS progresses, many individuals often need the support of caregivers to perform daily life activities. Limited information is available on MS-associated economic burden imposed on patients by the costs of informal care and loss of employment. To fill this gap, Spanish researchers evaluated the cost burden of indirect and informal care for 199 people with MS. Participants (mean age 43.9 years, and 60% females) were followed at 19 MS clinical units across Spain. Among the participants, 172 (86.4%) had relapsing-remitting MS, and 27 (13.6%) had primary progressive MS. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDDS) was used to determine each individual’s level of disability. EDDS scoring is done by a trained neurologist, who quantifies a patient’s disability on a scale of zero to 10, in 0.5 increments.  EDDS also is used to monitor changes in disability levels through the course of MS. The greater the EDDS score, the higher the disability level. The team used the 23-item MS Work difficulties questionnaire (MSWDQ-23) to assess the level of hardships participants experienced at their workplace. A patient-reported survey, the questionnaire highlights the extent of psychological and cognitive, physical, and other external difficulties experienced at work by people with the disease. MSWDQ-23 scores range from zero to 100, with a higher score correlating to more significant workplace difficulties. The study population had a median EDDS score of 2, and a median MSWDQ-23 score of 31.5, indicating an overall low level of physical disability. Despite this, MS was found to have a marked impact on the individuals’ work and academic activity. At the time of MS diagnosis, 70.6% of the participants were employed. However, at the start of this study, 9.6 years later, the employment rate among the participants had dropped to 47.2%. The retirement rate increased from zero at the time of diagnosis to 23.6% at the time of study visit. Most participants retired at a mean age of 43.6 years — and 95.7% of them cited MS progression as the reason for retirement. Among the student population, 90.9% reported absenteeism in the year before the study visit. During the same time period, 30.9% of employed participants were absent from work. Overall, 10.1% of all participants took sick leaves during the prior year. Being absent from work, and early retirement, impose several indirect costs in this study population, the researchers found. Sick leave due to MS resulted in a mean annual cost of €416.6 (US$473.59), while work absenteeism accounted for €763.4 (US$867.83) yearly. Early retirement due to MS added an additional mean annual cost burden of €5,810.1 (US$6,604.92). The annual costs per patient due to premature work disability or pension increased to €1,816.8 (US$2,065.34). Caregivers accompanied 72% of the patients for the study visit. The researchers noted that participants' spouses reportedly spent a minimum of more than 200 hours annually in providing care — more than a full-time job. A total 28.1% of participants required paid professional support for their daily activities, such as person to do housework and a physiotherapist. Patients also reported the use of assistive devices and adaptations. Crutch or walking stick use was reported by 10.6% of participants, while 8% had some home adaptation to help in their daily activities. Use of non-reimbursable devices was reported by 21.6%. The mean annual cost of informal caregiving, including activities by professional staff, was €1,328.7 (US$1,510.46). Use of assistive devices added an additional €736.6 (US$ 837.37) yearly. “MS is responsible for a substantial economic burden due to indirect and informal care costs, even in a population with low physical disability,” the researchers said. “Effective therapeutic interventions to improve the management of early symptoms as well as implementing workplace strategies focused on job retention may be essential to decrease the high economic burden of MS,” they concluded.

Out-of-pocket costs for medications treating neurological diseases have skyrocketed over the last 12 years in the U.S., with multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, especially, paying 20 times more in 2016 than they were in 2004, a study reported. “Given the high costs of…

A trend of rapidly increasing costs for disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) appear to be the primary driver behind the overall rise in healthcare costs for people with MS, a study suggests. These data were presented in a…

Since the first of this year, hospitals in the U.S. have been under new government orders. They must make their “list price” for specific services — things like an MRI or an infusion — available to the public by posting them online. The requirement was announced last summer. In…

I get my medications the old-fashioned way. When I need to fill a prescription, I either go to the drug store or use a mail-order pharmacy — and usually, I have a copay. Sometimes the copay is just a few dollars, but sometimes it can be a few hundred.

The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) is partnering with Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and its newly opened Autoimmunity Institute — based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — to study the costs of autoimmune disease to patients in the U.S., including that of just getting a correct diagnosis. AARDA, a non-profit that…

IMPAQ Health has created a calculator that will help New York State residents compare the cost of hundreds of health insurance plans. The NYPlanCosts Calculator should be particularly beneficial to people with one of eight chronic conditions — multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, hepatitis C, diabetes, HIV, schizophrenia, breast cancer and…

Multiple sclerosis patients who adhere strictly to their medication pay more but stay healthier in the long run than those who don't, a study found. Researchers at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Lynchburg, Virginia, analyzed data from 2004 to 2013, including electronic health records, insurance claims and self-reported medication adherence. They based their assessment of health outcomes on inpatient admission, emergency room visits, outpatient appointments  and healthcare costs. In total, 681 participants answered questionnaires about medication adherence and disease outcomes, including the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale and the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale. Also used was the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication to assess satisfaction with the medication taken. Patients who took their medicines most rigorously reported 14 percent less severe physical impact of MS, and 17 percent less severe psychological impact than those with low adherence. These patients also reported a 12 percent decrease in disability level, and believed their treatment plan was 7 percent more effective. However, the total overall costs were higher for patients who adhered to their doctor's orders. The researchers said it's more difficult to detect improvements in health outcomes for MS than for other chronic illnesses. This is partly because the only test for changes in disease status is brain imaging, which is expensive and not done routinely. Furthermore, brain imaging only detects new lesions following a relapse, which cannot be compared to previous or future imaging in a quantifiable way. In fact, no simple tests exist for measuring disease severity in MS as there are in other chronic diseases, making it difficult to determine whether treatment benefits justify their cost.

Dignity Medical Solutions and Quest Specialty Products will jointly market the “Timo Solution” – a novel technology to manage urinary incontinence (UI), a condition that frequently affects patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Such patients report two main types of UI: urge incontinence, caused by nerve damage in the part of the…

Costs associated with multiple sclerosis increase as the disease worsens, according to a study of more than 16,000 patients in 16 European countries. The study, “New insights into the burden and costs of multiple sclerosis in Europe,” was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal. Researchers obtained their information from patient self-reporting. Patients used the Kurtzke's Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) to assess the severity of their disease. They also reported on their quality of life and their resource use. Patients were divided into three categories. Those with a score between 0 and 3 on the EDSS scale were deemed to have a mild disease. The disease of those with scores of 4 to 6.5 was considered moderate. And the disease of those with scores of 7 to 9 was classified as severe. Patients assessed their health-related quality of life with the EuroQol Five Dimensions questionnaire. The average age of the 16,808 participants was 51 and a half years old. The work capacity of MS patients dropped from 82 percent of a healthy person's to 8 percent as the severity of the disease increased, researchers said. Patients' quality of life scores were about the same as those seen in the general population when they had a mild disease. But they plunged to less than zero when their disease became severe. The mean annual cost of having a mild form of MS was 22,800 euros, or around $26,300, researchers reported. The cost of having a moderate disease was 37,100 euros, or about $42,800. And the cost of a severe disease was 57,500 euros, or $66,340. Healthcare accounted for 68 percent of total costs with a mild disease, 47 percent with a moderate disease, and 26 percent for a severe disease. "Costs are dependent on the availability, use and price of services and on disease severity," the researchers wrote. "Costs were related to disease severity" in all countries "and were dominated by production losses, non-healthcare costs and DMTs," or disease-modifying therapies. Those therapies may be a key reason why the highest percentage of healthcare costs occurred in patients with a mild disease, researchers said. Doctors prescribe a lot of DMTs to this group. Other factors related to the high percentage were that many patients with mild diseases are still able to work -- meaning they incur fewer production-loss costs -- and this group requires fewer community services. As MS becomes more severe, patients' production losses rise, and they use more community services. "The intensity of healthcare service use varied widely across the countries," researchers wrote. "This reflects differences in healthcare organization, medical traditions, ease of access and – most importantly – availability of given services." Researchers also assessed patients' levels of fatigue and cognitive difficulties. Ninety-five percent reported fatigue, and 71 percent cognitive difficulties. Fatigue and cognitive difficulties had significant impacts on quality of life scores, researchers said.

A recent study has found that continued use of Ampyra (dalfampridine extended-release, sold in the U.S. by Acorda Therapeutics) by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) lowers both inpatient hospital visits and overall healthcare costs. Results from the study, titled “Inpatient Admissions and Costs Associated with Persistent…

With the recent approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) for both primary progressive and relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), interest in the medication is peaking. To help readers of Multiple Sclerosis News Today better understand this new medication and how it works, as well issues dealing with access, use, and potential side effects, here is a summary…

Considerable differences exist in how multiple sclerosis patients, healthcare providers and insurance companies assess the value of current MS treatments, according to a literature review study by the data analysis firm Real Endpoints. For the study, a team of clinicians and researchers looked at more than 300 research articles, covering topics like…

We all know the credit card commercial with actor Samuel L. Jackson talking about the buying power and the return on a certain credit card. He speaks about the bonus cash-back offers you can accrue if you just keep spending money and putting it on your credit card. The tag…

Chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) not only impact patients, they also inspire fear among healthy people who may be at risk of the disease. In a new study, researchers found that the availability of multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies provides “peace of mind” value to currently healthy individuals, particularly when…

Individual health insurance coverage largely determines a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient’s access to disease modifying drugs in the United States, mainly because of the rising costs of newer medications and near-annual changes in insurance policy coverage, usually making such coverage more restrictive, researchers report.  These twin problems often leave MS patients relying on suboptimal therapies rather than those…