There is an economic burden for everyone who is living with an autoimmune disorder. I want to take a look at what that burden is globally. Unfortunately the US isn’t the only country with a population living with Multiple Sclerosis.

The economic burden of MS includes the cost of diagnostics, interventions, and monitoring, and the loss of patient productivity and employment.

Tangible Costs

First let’s take a look at the tangible costs of MS.

What are tangible costs?

There are two types of tangible costs: Direct and Indirect Costs

Direct Costs are:

Medical:
– Physicians
– Tests
– Prescriptions
– Hospital
– Assistive devices
– Therapy
– Long-term care

Nonmedical:
– Home/auto modifications
– Transport
– Formal care
– Informal care

Indirect Costs are:

Increased Morbidity:
– Work loss
– Work change

Early Mortality:
– Earnings losses

Impact on Family and Friends:
– Employment changes
– Health effects

Intangible Costs are:
– Pain, suffering
– Quality of life impacts
– Stress
– Quality of life impact on family/friends

The MS Population in Each Country

The world is filled with people living with MS. Have you ever thought of how many people in Norway have it? What about Germany or Poland? I found a study that was done in 2008 and it has the statistics. Globally, the median estimated prevalence of
MS is 30 people per 100,000.

Here is the breakdown

Countries with the highest estimated prevalence included:

• Hungary (176)
• Slovenia (150)
• Germany (149)
• United States (135)
• Canada (133)
• Czech Republic (130)
• Norway (125)
• Denmark (122)
• Poland (120)
• Cyprus (110)

2016 Update: In the United States, multiple sclerosis (MS) affects approximately 400,000 individuals, and worldwide, the disease affects 2.5 million individuals, varying greatly by geographic region.

Total Costs of MS by Country

Read more about this study…

A patient who is newly diagnosed with MS will visit their physician an average of 8 times annually, approximately 3 times as often as an individual without the disease.

As patients with MS age and their disabilities progress, so do the costs of managing the disease.

The total lifetime cost per patient with MS is estimated to be $4.1 million (in 2010 dollars).

This utilization of healthcare services increases with increasing disability, with an average yearly healthcare cost of $30,000 for those with mild to moderate disability; $50,000 for those with moderate disability; and $100,000 or more for those with more severe disability, such as those confined to a wheelchair or bed/chair.

Read more about this study…