BRINGING
MORE
THERAPIES TO
MORE PEOPLE
on page 4
FOCUS
ON PARKINSON’S
New Study Reveals
$52-Billion Annual Economic
Burden of Parkinson’s
MORE THAN ONE MILLION AMERICANS ARE
living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We know
the disease’s effect on the body, but what about
the wallet? For many years, the financial impact
of the disease has been vastly underestimated.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), with
Parkinson’s Foundation, American Parkinson
Disease Association, and Parkinson Alliance, as
well as ACADIA, Adamas, AbbVie, Acorda and
Biogen, commissioned a new study to estimate
the economic burden of PD in the United States.
This study provides the most comprehensive
assessment of the total economic burden on
patients, care partners, payers, employers,
healthcare systems and government programs.
A noteworthy finding is the calculation that the
total cost of Parkinson’s is $51.9 billion every year,
with $25.4 billion attributable to direct medical
costs (e.g., hospitalizations, medication) and $26.5
billion in non-medical costs like missed work, lost
wages, early forced retirement and family caregiver
time. This nearly doubles previous estimates
and, for the first time, includes the various ways
Parkinson’s affects a person’s finances and their
(continued on page 2)
05
Spring/Summer
2019 Research
News Briefs
In This Issue
08 12 18
Parkinson's
Researchers Take
Capitol Hill Dr. Dolhun Talks PD:
Boost Your Brain
Health Milestone for
The New England
Parkinson's Ride
Spring/Summer 2019
THE FOX