Economic Impact of ALS Disease

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a degenerative disease affecting the nerves that control muscle movement. Also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, the financial burdens of ALS can be tremendous.

Size

• The Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures estimates the cost of caring for an ALS patient can reach $200,000 a year in the advanced stages of the disease.

Effects

• As ALS progresses, further debilitating the patient, the disease becomes more costly to treat, consuming medical and financial resources.

Features

• As muscles weaken because of ALS, patients become paralyzed. Family members often assume the responsibility of patient care, as well as the associated financial burdens.

Types of Costs

• Costs that contribute to the economic impact of ALS include private nurses and equipment, such as raised toilet seats and special mattresses that rotate patients to prevent them from staying in one position for an extended length of time.

Benefits

• Insurance plans, depending on the policy itself and the carrier, cover some of the expenses of caring for ALS patients, but often family members still bear many high costs.

Expert Insight

• In a paper for the journal "Neurology," Lynn Klein and Dallas Forshew advocated increased education for health care providers, families and insurance carriers to reduce the costs of patient care.