Healthcare Cost of Multiple Sclerosis and in Relation to Disability Level in Alberta.

BACKGROUND

We aimed to (1) report updated estimates of direct healthcare costs for people living with MS (pwMS), (2) contrast costs to a control population and (3) explore differences between disability levels among pwMS.

METHODS

Administrative data were used to identify adult pwMS (MS cohort) and without (control cohort) in Alberta, Canada; disability level (based on the Expanded Disability Status Scale) among pwMS was estimated. One- and two-part generalized linear models with gamma distribution were used to estimate the incremental direct healthcare cost (2021 $CDN) of MS during a 1-year observation period.

RESULTS

Adjusting for confounders, the total healthcare cost ratio was higher in the MS cohort (

CONCLUSION

Adult pwMS had greater direct healthcare costs than those without. Extrapolating to the population level (where 14,485 adult pwMS were identified in the study), it is estimated that $218 million per year in healthcare costs may be attributable to MS in Alberta. The significantly larger economic impact associated with greater disability underscores the importance of preventing or delaying disease progression and functional impairment in MS.