SYRACUSE — The Alzheimer’s Association’s recent report, “The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on Medicaid Costs: A Growing Burden for States,” found that New York state has the highest Medicaid costs for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. New York will spend $4 billion on care for individuals with a form of dementia […]
SYRACUSE — The Alzheimer’s Association’s recent report, “The Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on Medicaid Costs: A Growing Burden for States,” found that New York state has the highest Medicaid costs for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
New York will spend $4 billion on care for individuals with a form of dementia this year. But that total could jump by nearly 40 percent to $5.55 billion by 2025, the association’s report finds. About 7 percent of the 2015 Medicaid budget in the Empire State is spent on people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
“It’s important to remember that 3 out of 4 people with Alzheimer’s disease or other form of dementia will be admitted to a nursing home by age 80,” Catherine James, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter, said in a news release. “Medicaid is a critical support for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and related disease of dementia.”
Nationally, the report showed that Medicaid costs for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will rise in every state in the U.S. and the District of Columbia. In fact, by 2025, 35 states will see increases in Alzheimer’s Medicaid costs of at least 40 percent from 2015. That includes 22 states that will see increases of at least 50 percent.
Seniors with Alzheimer’s and other dementias rely on Medicaid, which is funded by state and federal governments, at a rate nearly three times greater than other seniors due to the long duration of the disease, the intense personal-care needs, and the high cost of long-term-care services, according to the news release.
With the quickly rising Medicaid costs for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, the Alzheimer’s Association is calling on the New York Legislature to fully implement the recommendations found within the plan developed by the New York State Coordinating Council for Services Related to Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias. A PDF of the plan is available at http://goo.gl/OzkzzK.
This past year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Department of Health, and the New York State Senate and Assembly took steps to begin to tackle the public health crisis exacerbated by the increased rates of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, the association said. The state provided for $50 million over two years to invest in caregiver-support efforts to enable those with dementia to live at home longer, and delay nursing-home placement and reliance on Medicaid, the association added.
“Alzheimer’s is a triple threat, with soaring prevalence, lack of treatment, and enormous costs that no one can afford. Barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, stop, or slow Alzheimer’s disease, state governments must anticipate the demands of long-term care on their Medicaid budgets,” the Alzheimer’s Association said.
To read its full report findings, visit alz.org/trajectory.