Multiple Sclerosis Financial Assistance

Learn the costs associated with MS, what insurance may not cover, and how to get help.

Fundraise for Multiple Sclerosis

Topics Covered

The Cost of Multiple Sclerosis
What Insurance May Not Cover for MS Patients
Long-Term Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Does Insruance Cover Multiple Sclerosis Costs and Provide Financial Assistance
Multiple Sclerosis Financial Assistance with Help Hope Live
How Does Multiple Sclerosis Fundraising Work?

Common MS Expenses

Health insurance premiums
Home health care
Activity-based therapy
Specially equipped vans
Assistive technology

It’s possible to live a long, active, healthy, and happy life with multiple sclerosis (MS). To get there, you may need to take on substantial out-of-pocket costs for treatment and care. For many individuals living with MS, covering these costs is simply not possible without help.

In this post, learn which costs are commonly associated with an MS diagnosis and treatment, costs insurance sometimes doesn’t fully cover for MS, and how you can move forward with a medically verified MS fundraising campaign to get Community-Led financial assistance.

The Cost of Multiple Sclerosis

According to a 2022 report from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, living with MS costs $88,487 per year for a U.S. patient. Medical costs alone make up $65,612 of that projected cost.

Indirect costs like impact on daily living, ability or inability to work certain jobs, home modifications for accessibility with mobility changes, and other considerations can cause the cost of life with MS to vary significantly person to person. The average indirect financial impact for someone with MS is over $18,500 in a single year,

The National MS Society estimates that caregivers and partners incur an average of $4,333 in expenses per year that are related to the care and support they are providing to someone living with MS in their household.

Typically the largest single expense that someone living with MS will face in a year is MS-specific medications and medication therapies. Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) typically cost between $57,000 and over $92,000 per patient per year.

What Insurance May Not Cover for MS Patients

Insurance typically won’t cover everything that someone living with multiple sclerosis will need to pursue their treatment pathways, receive specialized care, address symptoms, and live an active life.

Here are a few of the MS costs insurance typically doesn’t fully cover:

Health insurance premiums, deductibles, and co-payments
Medications
Travel expenses for rehabilitation and treatment
Relocation or moving expenses related to the diagnosis (such as in the case of moving to be closer to a rehabilitation center or hospital for treatment)
Temporary housing due to relocation
Mileage, tolls, and parking fees for visits to rehabilitation center or hospital
Specialized wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment
Specially equipped vans and durable medical equipment
Home modification related to the diagnosis
Home health care services
Assistive technology
Physical therapy and vocational rehabilitation
Experimental treatments

Long-Term Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis Patients

In between onsets of MS symptoms, individuals with MS may experience long periods of remission, which can last for months or even years. However, during these times, patients typically continue to maintain a regimen of therapies to slow the illness and the deterioration of their nervous system. Long-term treatments include the following.

Injectable treatments:

Interferon beta medications
Glatiramer acetate

Oral treatments:

Fingolimod
Dimethyl fumarate
Diroximel fumarate
Teriflunomide
Siponimod
Cladribine

Infusion treatments:

Ocrelizumab
Natalizumab
Alemtuzumab

Treatments for multiple sclerosis may also involve specific physical interventions to combat the symptoms, including:

Physical therapy
Muscle relaxants
Fatigue-reducing medications
Medication to increase walking speed

Does Insurance Cover Multiple Sclerosis Costs and Provide Financial Assistance?

The MS costs that insurance will cover depends on the provider. Treatments for multiple sclerosis can last for many years and be overwhelmingly and prohibitively expensive. That is why so many patients and families living with MS turn to Help Hope Live to start a fundraising campaign to help offset a lifetime of MS-related expenses.

Keep in mind that even if your insurance offers coverage for most MS treatments, there will likely be many out-of-pocket costs associated with maintaining your comfort and health as you live with this diagnosis.