Health Beat: End-of-life costs for dementia more than double other diseases

Editor’s note: Each Wednesday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Health Beat,” a round-up of health-related topics.

END-OF-LIFE COSTS FOR DEMENTIA MORE THAN DOUBLE OTHER DISEASES: In the last five years of life, total health care spending for people with dementia was more than a quarter-million dollars per person, some 57% greater than costs associated with death from other diseases, including cancer and heart disease. The new analysis, appearing in the Oct. 27, 2015, online issue of the “Annals of Internal Medicine,” estimates that total health care spending was $287,000 for those with probable dementia and $183,000 for other Medicare beneficiaries in the study.

For families, out-of-pocket spending for those with dementia was $61,522 compared to $34,068 for those without dementia. Informal care costs were estimated to be $83,022 for people with dementia versus $38,272 for those without dementia. In addition, out-of-pocket spending as a proportion of total household wealth five years before death was significantly higher — a median of 32% for dementia and 11% for other diseases. For African-American households, the median out-of-pocket expenditure was 84% of household wealth for those with probable dementia.

The researchers calculated costs from Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, out-of-pocket, and informal care over the last five years of life. The analysis was funded primarily by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health.

BAPTIST HEALTH, INNOVATION HUB FORM ‘HUBX-LIFE SCIENCES’ TO FUND STARTUPS: A joint effort by Baptist Health and the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub has been formed to accelerate the development of up to 10 health care-related startup companies. The two entities say HubX-LifeSciences Presented by Baptist Health is Arkansas’ first business accelerator that will be privately funded and targeted toward a specific industry. HubX-Life Sciences will be accepting applications through Feb. 15.

UAMS, BAPTIST HEALTH, BLUE CROSS, OTHERS FORM ‘SHARED SERVICES’ PARTNERSHIP: Four hospital providers, including Baptist Health and UAMS, and Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield are creating a shared services organization to reduce duplication, share costs and improve care. The Partnership for a Healthy Arkansas also includes Jonesboro-based St. Bernards Healthcare and Fayetteville-based Washington Regional Medical System. Washington Regional President and CEO Bill Bradley was elected chairman.

NATIONAL DENTAL CHAIN OPENS NEW OFFICE IN RUSSELLVILLE: National dental chain Aspen Dental will open a new office in Russellville on Nov. 5, the fifth location established in Arkansas over the past year. Located at 331 Weir Road, the Aspen practice will provide dental services that range from dentures and preventive care to general dentistry and restoration. Dr. Rosetta Shelby-Calvin, a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) graduate from the University of Louisville in Kentucky, will serve as lead dentist at the Russellville office. Syracuse, N.Y.-based Aspen now has more than 500 offices in 33 states across the U.S.