The costs of treating all-cause dementia among American Indians and Alaska native adults who access services through the Indian Health Service and Tribal health programs

Introduction: Little is known about treatment costs for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults with dementia who access services through the Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal health programs.

Methods: We analyzed fiscal year 2013 IHS/Tribal treatment costs for AI/ANs aged 65+ years with dementia and a matched sample without dementia (n = 1842) to report actual and adjusted total treatment costs and costs by service type. Adjusted costs were estimated using multivariable regressions.

Results: Mean total treatment cost for adults with dementia were $13,027, $5400 higher than for adults without dementia ($7627). The difference in adjusted total treatment costs was $2943 (95% confidence interval [CI]: $1505, $4381), the majority of which was due to the difference in hospital inpatient costs ($2902; 95% CI: $1512, $4293).

Discussion: Knowing treatment costs for AI/ANs with dementia can guide enhancements to policies and services for treating dementia and effectively using health resources.