Did you know that individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease are not currently eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits? Those diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, however, are able to receive benefits as the disease was recently added to the agency’s list of Compassionate Allowances. This shift in how the government views the disease demonstrates the increasing concern over where Alzheimer’s and dementia are headed.
Georgia residents may want to take note of the fact that Alzheimer’s Disease is estimated to triple in the next 40 years and with that comes an astronomical price tag in treating the disease. While America spends roughly $200 billion in treatment costs for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, if the current estimate of tripled numbers by 2050 comes to fruition, the total bill for treatment could top $1 trillion.
However, with every piece of bad news there tends to be a silver lining and this instance is no exception. The silver lining for those involved with or affected by diseases of dementia, is that since Alzheimer’s is becoming more common, there is more attention and therefore funding for its research towards a cure. There are many clinical trials out there for those who are experiencing early-onset Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia to get involved in and certain drug treatments are proving more effective than in the past.
If you find that you are beginning to experience early-onset dementia or Alzheimer’s and you would like to see if you are eligible for Social Security Disability benefits, please contact an attorney practiced in that area of law. They will be able to help guide you through the process in a manner to ensure that you present the best case possible to the Social Security Administration for your desired benefits.
Source: U.S. News and World Report, “Number of Americans With Alzheimer’s May Triple by 2050,” Feb. 6, 2013
