Dementia Increases Medicare Costs By Over 100%

In 2012, Medicare paid an estimated average of $20,638 per person for medical services provided to beneficiaries over age 65 with chronic health conditions and dementia; the average per-person cost of care for beneficiaries without dementia were $7,832. Dementia, whether due to Alzheimer’s disease or some other cause, increases the average per-person Medicare cost of medical services for seven chronic health conditions—heart disease, diabetes, heart failure, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), stroke, and cancer—across multiple care sources—hospital, physician, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice. Among Medicare beneficiaries with dementia in . . .