Health care costs of veterans with multiple sclerosis: Implications for the rehabilitation of MS

Abstract We retrospectively determined health care costs among veterans with multiple sclerosis (MS) and correlated the costs with neurologic dysfunction. Total health care costs for the 165 patients averaged $35,000/year. VA benefits and homecare together accounted for 85% of the total costs. Total health care costs correlated with two measures of neurologic dysfunction, the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ( r = 0.61, p r = 0.64, p