Connect with others who understand.

Sign up Log in
Resources
About MyMSTeam
Powered By
See answer
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
NEWS

Insurance Gaps Found Among Those With MS, Survey Finds

Written by Torrey Kim
Posted on September 15, 2021

A comprehensive multiple sclerosis (MS) care team typically consists of a neurologist and a variety of other health care providers who can work together to help people manage the disease. Visiting medical professionals in the U.S. usually requires health insurance, and since many people with MS leave the workforce, insurance coverage may not remain stable for everyone with the condition.

To investigate the breadth of insurance coverage in the MS community, researchers issued a survey to individuals with the condition between the ages of 18 and 65 who were registered with iConquerMS, the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis, or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Minority Advisory Council. Approximately 2,500 people completed the survey, 83 percent of whom were female. The average age of participants was 53.5 years old and the mean duration since their MS diagnoses was 16.4 years.

The study authors found that 96.3 percent of participants had health insurance and 58.8 percent had life insurance. However, they discovered that just 9.7 percent of survey respondents had long-term care insurance, 18.1 percent had short-term disability income insurance, and 26.6 percent had private long-term disability income insurance.

Of note, the researchers found that the majority of study participants obtained their existing insurance plans after receiving an MS diagnosis, dispelling a common myth that insurance is impossible to obtain following diagnosis.

“This study highlights the importance of becoming informed about coverage options, particularly after an MS diagnosis,” the National Multiple Sclerosis Society wrote in an analysis of the survey results.

Posted on September 15, 2021

A MyMSTeam Member

Houston is a fantastic city to live in if you have MS. The doctors r great and there is financial assistance if you need it. I am very grateful for having United Health and medicaid and Medicare… read more

January 7, 2022
All updates must be accompanied by text or a picture.

We'd love to hear from you! Please share your name and email to post and read comments.

You'll also get the latest articles directly to your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
All updates must be accompanied by text or a picture.

Subscribe now to ask your question, get answers, and stay up to date on the latest articles.

Get updates directly to your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Torrey Kim is a freelance writer with MyHealthTeam. Learn more about her here.

Related Articles

Five disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ...

Schedules for MS Infusions: Monthly, Twice a Year, and Other Frequencies

Five disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ...
Driving relies on your body’s ability to react to your surroundings. Although many people with mu...

Can You Drive With Numb Feet? 3 Tips for Driving With Neuropathy

Driving relies on your body’s ability to react to your surroundings. Although many people with mu...
Talking about how multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect sexual function and desire can be difficult....

Can MS Cause Hypersexuality?

Talking about how multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect sexual function and desire can be difficult....
My Identical Sister Has MS Too Dani Darling and Jacqui Blue, who are triplets along with anot...

My Identical Sister Has MS Too (VIDEO)

My Identical Sister Has MS Too Dani Darling and Jacqui Blue, who are triplets along with anot...
Part of the Relapsing MS Playbook series 5 Tips for Traveling With MS Dr. Jacqueline Nicholas ...

Travel Tips for People With Multiple Sclerosis (VIDEO)

Part of the Relapsing MS Playbook series 5 Tips for Traveling With MS Dr. Jacqueline Nicholas ...
Empathy can be described as “the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and...

Does Multiple Sclerosis Cause Lack of Empathy?

Empathy can be described as “the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and...

Recent Articles

Multiple sclerosis is not hereditary, but it does occur within families. Click to learn more!

Is MS Inherited From Your Mother or Father? 5 Factors That Matter (VIDEO)

Multiple sclerosis is not hereditary, but it does occur within families. Click to learn more!
Although scientists don’t fully understand what causes multiple sclerosis (MS), they believe that...

Genetic Factors in MS: HLA-DRB1 and More (VIDEO)

Although scientists don’t fully understand what causes multiple sclerosis (MS), they believe that...
Scientists have proposed different ideas about why autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis...

Multiple Sclerosis in Men vs. Women: 5 Symptom Differences and More

Scientists have proposed different ideas about why autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis...
Multiple sclerosis (MS) does not affect everyone at equal rates. Some people are more likely than...

Who Gets MS? Prevalence, Epidemiology, and More

Multiple sclerosis (MS) does not affect everyone at equal rates. Some people are more likely than...
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated disorder that affects around 1 million peop...

How Many People Live With MS? (VIDEO)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated disorder that affects around 1 million peop...
Intravenous (IV) disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) often come with ...

Financial Help With MS Infusion Costs

Intravenous (IV) disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) often come with ...
MS News

Thank you for subscribing!

Become a member to get even more: