Parkinson’s Disease Imposes €22.8 Billion Economic Burden Across Europe
- The economic burden of Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism in the United States has reached nearly $82.2 billion, according to a study reported by the Parkinson's Foundation.
- According to the Parkinson's Foundation, an estimated 1.1 million people lived with Parkinson's disease in the United States in 2024.
- To determine excess medical costs, study authors compared average medical expenses of individuals with Parkinson's disease against a matched demographic group without the condition.
The economic burden of Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism in the United States has reached nearly $82.2 billion, according to a study reported by the Parkinson’s Foundation. The figure reveals that societal and financial costs tied to the neurodegenerative disorder have grown faster than earlier researchers estimated from previous 2017 data.
Rising Costs and Direct Medical Expenses in 2024
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, an estimated 1.1 million people lived with Parkinson’s disease in the United States in 2024. Direct medical costs accounted for $23.8 billion of the total economic footprint. These expenses cover hospitalizations, outpatient care, and medications.
To determine excess medical costs, study authors compared average medical expenses of individuals with Parkinson’s disease against a matched demographic group without the condition. The analysis showed average direct costs of $18,859 per person across all age groups in 2024. This figure represents a slight decrease from the 2017 average of $24,439 per person, a shift researchers attribute to rising baseline medical expenses in the non-Parkinson’s comparison group driven by high-cost treatments such as GLP-1 agonists.
Expansion of Non-Medical and Indirect Costs
Indirect and non-medical expenses reached $58.4 billion in 2024, far outpacing the growth of direct medical care. These costs include lost income, disability, and unpaid caregiving.
Non-medical expenses, including daily non-medical care, home modifications, and vehicle modifications, averaged $15,614 per person in 2024. Researchers expanded their tracking to incorporate new major cost drivers such as housekeeping services, legal planning, and financial planning services. Out-of-pocket costs not covered by insurance, such as counseling and therapeutic activities, averaged $4,675 per person.
Indirect costs, encompassing lost wages due to reduced working hours and sick time, climbed to $12,554 per person annually. This represents a 69 percent increase since 2017.
Funding Gaps and Calls for Increased Research Investment
James Beck, Chief Scientific Officer at the Parkinson’s Foundation, emphasized the growing financial strain placed on patients and their relatives. It is alarming to see the societal cost to treat PD continue to grow.
This new study further underscores the extreme financial burden to not only society, but to the families of those living with PD.
Parkinson’s remains one of the most expensive diseases to care for yet the U.S. government invests less than 1% of this cost in searching for better treatments and cures through research.
