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Access Economics report—MS costs $2 billion a year

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Access Economics today launched a report stating multiple sclerosis (MS) costs Australia nearly $2 billion a year in direct financial and other costs.

The report confirms that the national financial cost of the disease is over $600 million every year. Nearly half (43 per cent) is the cost of informal care. Lost productivity contributes $160 million. The lost value of healthy lives adds a further $1.3 billion.Access Economics produced the report—titled Acting Positively: Strategic Implications of the Economic Costs of Multiple Sclerosis in Australia—for MS Australia, and launched it at a Parliament House briefing in Canberra today.Lynne Pezzullo, an Associate Director of Access Economics, said that the report spells out several urgent challenges.”In a year, MS is more common than breast cancer and sports injury,” Ms Pezzullo said. “It is more debilitating than chronic back pain and mental retardation. It is expensive to manage, and under-represented by research dollars.”The report also highlights that MS is pushing young people into nursing homes and full time workers into part time or no work, and that some suitable pharmaceuticals are not PBS listed for the disease.Lindsay McMillan, MS Australia’s chief executive officer agreed that the report’s message is clear.”MS is difficult to diagnose, and more difficult to live with. Australia needs to address the challenges—or keep losing two billion dollars a year.””A key area for immediate government action is to ensure that changes to Australia’s disability support pension do not disadvantage the already disadvantaged,” he said.Researchers arrived at the figures by aggregating personal and community costs associated with diagnosing, treating and living with the disease.For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Alan Blackwoodm. 0407 542 605, e. ablackwood@mssociety.com.auChristina Hickiem. 0417 130 420, e. christina.hickie@redagency.com.au About Access Economics:Access Economics was established in 1988 by two senior ex-Commonwealth Treasury officials, Geoff Carmody and David Chessell, who set out to provide private sector clients with the quality of economic information and policy advice given confidentially to Government Ministers. The company is one of Australia’s leading economic consulting firms, with an international reputation for quality, independence, credibility, innovation and policy agenda-setting. Access Economics’ expertise covers economic policy, taxation, regulation, economic modelling and forecasting and actuarial studies. Headquartered in Canberra, Access Economics also has an office in Melbourne and an on-the-ground presence in Sydney and Adelaide.About MS Australia:Multiple Sclerosis Australia’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of people with MS, reduce the impact of MS on families and carers, being a leading not-for-profit organisation and preferred charity in Australia.


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Posted On: 13 September, 2005
Modified On: 16 January, 2014

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