The cost of providing care for Americans with Alzheimer’s disease has hit $277 billion – eclipsing a quarter of a trillion dollars – as baby boomers age and the U.S. healthcare system struggles to find people to care for this fast-growing population.
The annual cost estimate for the deadly disease from the Alzheimer’s Association comes as Republican members of Congress led by U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan consider cutting entitlement programs like Medicaid health coverage for poor Americans and Medicare health insurance for the elderly.
