Multiple sclerosis: Frequency, cost, and economic burden in the United States

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological diseases, affecting young and middle-aged adults. The full economic cost of managing chronic MS is substantial. To investigate the recent trend of medical cost and economic burden of MS management in the United States (U.S.), we inquired for available data from the National Inpatient Sample database (NIS; from 1994 to 2013). The annual rates of changes were determined by linear regression analysis. We found an estimated half million increase in MS admissions, annually, which was projected to exceed 43.5 million by the end of year 2017. We also found the charge and the costs associated with MS care increased at rates of US$ 40 million a year and US$ 8 million a year, respectively. We revealed a 1.6 fold increase in the inflation of medical bill in the past decade, and the inflation of medical bills was inversely correlated to the cost-to-charge ratios. In sum, we outline the national trends of medical care use and the expenditure of caring for patients with MS. Periodic reviews and characterizations of expenditure trends are critical for formulating future policy.