How Much Does Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Cost?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Symptoms of MS including muscle weakness, pain, and cognitive issues typically start between ages 20 and 40 and are caused by the breakdown of what’s called the myelin sheath (the protective coating around nerve cells that helps to carry information from the brain to the body). Treatment for MS can help slow the progression of this breakdown, and therefore slow symptom progression, but there is no cure for MS.

This article covers the costs of treating MS including medical and nonmedical treatments, managing these costs, and what to expect.

The Average Cost of MS Treatment

The average cost of MS treatment has increased over the past two decades. A 2015 review of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) for patients with MS found medications that originally cost a person around $8,000 to $11,000 now cost around $60,000 per year.

The average cost of MS treatment has increased, with newer DMTs entering the prescription drug market. For example, newer DMTs commonly entered the market with a cost of 25–60% higher than existing DMTs. These costs, and therefore the cost of MS treatment, are around two to three times higher in the United States than in comparable countries.

That estimate doesn't include the non-DMT costs of living with MS, such as the costs of managing a lifelong illness and transportation to healthcare providers. A 2022 study suggests the average cost of MS treatment in the U.S. is now around $88,487 per year.

Types of MS Treatments

There are two types of MS treatments and associated costs: direct treatment costs and indirect costs. These costs will vary depending on health insurance coverage and personal daily needs. 

Direct Treatment

Direct treatment refers to doctor’s appointments and medications. Medications like DMTs may be prescribed as injections, oral therapies, and IV infusions. Direct treatment carries the biggest cost burden. A person with MS pays an estimated $65,000 more in medical costs per year than someone without MS.

Indirect Treatment

Indirect treatment costs and nonmedical costs are all the other costs associated with managing a lifelong illness like MS.

Indirect treatment costs refer to things like:

• Medications or cognitive behavioral therapy for symptoms associated with MS such as depression or excessive skin itching
• Caregiver services
• Not having the option to continue working (getting forced into early retirement)
• Home modifications for greater accessibility
• Additional complementary and alternative remedies for MS

Managing the Cost of MS Treatment

As a patient, managing the cost of MS on your own can be particularly difficult. Finding a cost-conscious healthcare provider may be helpful because there are several ways they can help you manage treatment costs. In a 2016 article on cost-containment strategies for MS treatment, researchers proposed five options.

• Avoid prescribing DMTs unless the patient has an accurate diagnosis of MS and symptoms warrant the need for a prescription.
• Treat a relapse according to symptom severity (i.e., do not give a generic approach to relapse treatment, which may go overboard and cost more than the patient truly needs).
• Develop alternative dosing strategies for Food and Drug Administration-approved DMTs that have proved effective.
• Consider off-label prescriptions for MS (in place of direct treatment DMTs).
• Review the use of prescription DMTs as the patient ages (i.e., consider the patient may not require the same dosage of DMTs for the rest of their life).

What to Expect

The good news is that MS treatments are evolving and improving, showing greater tolerability and decreased adverse reactions. But the reality of the situation is that these newer DMTs are even more costly than before, and there is still no cure for MS.

You can expect MS to be an expensive illness that changes your life in more ways than one as you consider how to cover these costs and which costs are absolutely necessary. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the cost of MS treatment, you may want to consider sharing your concerns with your healthcare provider and insurance company and joining a support group for people with MS who are also experiencing this. 

Summary 

Living with MS is expensive. There are costs associated with direct treatment, which include doctor’s appointments and prescription medications to slow the disease's progression. There are also the indirect costs and nonmedical costs of everyday living with MS, such as having to retire early and modify your home for accessibility purposes. Managing costs begins with a discussion with your healthcare provider and insurance company. Regardless, you can expect MS treatment to be expensive. 

A Word From Verywell 

If you have MS, bear in mind that the cost of treatment is not your fault, and an inability to cover all your medical costs on your own does not make you a burden. Though it is expensive, there are ways to manage costs. You aren't alone in dealing with MS. You can find support at your local chapter of the National MS Society.