Today, Together Senior Health released a new market report that provides exclusive insight into missed opportunities, clinical disconnects, and surging costs of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD).
The report "Disconnects in Dementia Care: Opportunities for Impact," is based on findings from an independent survey of 53 national Medicare Advantage health plan leaders that was conducted in March 2023 by healthcare consultancy Sage Growth Partners.
The survey revealed that despite recognizing the health and social impact, many organizations are moving very slowly, or in some cases not at all, to better manage and care for those with ADRD. The report also prominently identifies the disconnect between plans' interest in solutions and the lack of investment in new evidence-based solutions, and also includes recommendations on how health plans can better manage the current and future impact of these costly and debilitating diseases.
"Dementia is a costly and frightening condition, and until recently there have been few evidence-based approaches to managing it," said Cynthia Benjamin, CEO and co-founder, Together Senior Health. "While breakthrough drugs remain out of reach, other therapeutic interventions are demonstrating clinical benefits and cost savings. Focusing on comprehensive, whole-person care will help to reduce high-cost healthcare events and increase the quality of life for those impacted by ADRD."
Key findings of the report include:
- Health plans recognize the challenges of ADRD, yet underestimate the true cost. Respondents indicate that dementia is widely recognized as extremely challenging to manage, but rank its financial impact beneath that of other conditions. More than two-thirds (67%) of respondents said members with multiple chronic conditions are their most challenging population to manage.
- Despite wanting to offer specialized dementia care, most health plans instead invest in less-costly conditions. The vast majority of those surveyed (83%) believe they should be offering formal programs to help care for members with cognitive decline.
- Health plan leaders say they are enthusiastic about innovative new interventions and support the case for evidence-based, therapeutic programs that focus on well-being, physical movement and brain health to improve outcomes. These include reducing social isolation (89%), improving balance and physical health (86%) and non-pharmaceutical treatments (69%).
- Plans feel existing solutions are inadequate, yet they are not implementing promising new modalities. Most currently deliver only routine primary care (42%), memory loss programs (36%), companionship benefits (34%), telehealth (24%) and daily home visits (21%) as the most cost-effective options available.
"Health plans are relying on primary care providers and family caregivers to manage these members," said Benjamin. "But most are unprepared to screen or care for patients with ADRD and have little to offer given traditional treatment modalities. Providers and patients are excited to utilize new evidence-based solutions that companies like Together Senior Health are bringing to market."
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias represent a rising and largely unchecked threat to our nation's healthcare system.
"Much about ADRD remains a mystery and methods for slowing or reversing their progression have been elusive," said Dan D'Orazio, CEO, Sage Growth Partners. "By 2050, the yearly cost to care for ADRD is estimated to reach $1 trillion. This is an immense tally that does not even account for the large price tags of emerging pharmaceuticals. Our research shows that this is an unsustainable scenario that is largely underestimated by our health plans."
