People with myasthenia gravis (MG) face a mean annual healthcare cost of nearly $16,000, according to a survey of MG patients and their caregivers. Medications and treatments accounted for most out-of-pocket expenses (27%), followed by insurance premiums (20%), diagnosis (15%), and caregiving assistance (14%). “Disseminating the findings of this…

The healthcare costs of myasthenia gravis (MG) are high, according to a study from Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, and even higher for women and patients with very severe symptoms or coexisting conditions such as mental health problems or severe infections. A large portion of direct costs in all three…

People with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) with many hospital visits before diagnosis or hard-to-manage disease symptoms at the time of diagnosis tend to accrue higher healthcare-related costs after getting diagnosed, a new study reports. The use of certain treatments before diagnosis and in the year after, as well…

Myasthenia gravis (MG) patients on long-term treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) or nonsteroidal immunosuppressants have significantly higher rates of disease crises and exacerbations, and subsequent greater healthcare costs, according to a retrospective analysis of insurance claims from a U.S. database. Overall, these findings highlight that treatments capable of…

Here in the United States, the richest nation in the world in terms of nominal gross domestic product, medical expenses are the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy. People in the rare disease community are well aware of this and among the hardest hit. Seven years ago, I went…

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is applauding the Biden administration for announcing a rule to protect consumers from surprise medical billing, in a joint statement with 26 other U.S. patient organizations. The interim final rule will implement patient protections required by the No Surprises Act. Surprise…

People with myastenia gravis (MG) whose disease is refractory, or resistant, to conventional therapies, are more likely to have disease flare-ups, visit an emergency room, be hospitalized, or be admitted to an intensive care unit — using more healthcare resources — than patients with nonresistant MG, a U.S. study…