CMSC 2022 | The cost of multiple sclerosis

Bari Talente, JD, National MS Society, Washington, DC, outlines the results of a study on the cost of multiple sclerosis (MS). In 2019, the annual cost of MS in the US was 85.4 billion dollars, with the largest component being 63.3 billion dollars of direct medical costs, including MS disease modifying therapies and other prescription drugs. Additionally, 22.1 billion dollars was spent on indirect and non-medical costs, such as productivity loss and caregiver cost, respectively. The National MS Society undertook this study with The Lewin Group because they realized the data on MS was outdated and inconsistent with the current prevalence of MS. In hopes of improving healthcare, the society has ensured that the study is open access to give neurologists the opportunity to think about the implication costs have on patient care. The study also aims to encourage neurologists to communicate with patients about out-of-pocket costs and barriers to treatments, as well as questioning if one is adhering to their treatment plan. This was stressed by a survey conducted by the National MS Society in 2019, where 40% of patients responded they did not take medication as prescribed due to the costs. This interview took place at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) congress 2022 in Maryland.