Report: Iowa will see sharp increases in Medicaid spending for Alzheimer’s patients
BUSINESS RECORD STAFF Nov 9, 2015 | 10:06 pm
2 min read time
414 wordsAll Latest News, Health and WellnessA new report from the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that Medicaid spending for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will increase by 33 percent in Iowa in the next 10 years.
This year, Medicaid spending for Alzheimer’s in the state will total $576 million, increasing to $768 million in 2025, according to the association’s Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. Approximately 14 percent of the 2015 Medicaid budget in Iowa is spent on people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
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.
The report estimates that Medicaid costs for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will increase in every state in the U.S. and the District of Columbia in the next decade. By 2025, 35 states will see increases in Alzheimer’s Medicaid costs of at least 40 percent from 2015, including 22 states that will see increases of at least 50 percent.
By the age of 80, 75 percent of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias will be admitted to a nursing home, compared with just 4 percent of the general population, the report said.
“Alzheimer’s is not a disease that the states can afford to ignore. Nor can the federal government,” said Carol Sipfle, executive director for the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Iowa Chapter.
“Under the Alzheimer’s Accountability Act passed in December 2014, Congress has required the National Institutes of Health to submit a professional judgment budget to Congress every fiscal year until 2025 to help guide them in allocating funding for Alzheimer’s research,” she said. “With the goal to prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s by 2025, it’s imperative that the federal government fund it.”
Iowa lawmakers also need to address dementia care, said Noah Jensen Tabor, public policy director for the Alzheimer’s Association.
“With these new Medicaid numbers being released we can see the effect Alzheimer’s and other dementia is having and will continue to have here in Iowa,” he said.
“The Alzheimer’s Association urges Iowa policymakers to ensure that training in dementia care is provided to all individuals employed in the delivery of care from home and community-based services and in residential care settings.The Association also stresses the need to raise public awareness of the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease and encourage early diagnosis.”
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