Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disorder affecting 0.1%–0.2% of the population in North America and Western Europe.1 People with MS are often diagnosed during their working age, and the diagnosis adversely affects their earning ability, quality of life, and functional capability.2 Caring for people with MS has enormous financial costs for health care systems, patients, and their caregivers. In the United States, the average excess direct and indirect cost of MS has been estimated at $65,612 per patient per annum (pppa).3 In the United Kingdom, the median medical cost has been estimated at $3,729 pppa and the nonmedical cost at $1,079 pppa.4 In Sweden, the median medical cost of MS is approximately $9,937 pppa.2 The heterogeneity in cost estimates reflects different countries’ medication prices and health system financing models.
