Aspolicymakers seek to integrate care for dual eligibles, they need to considerthe cost of treating beneficiaries with dementia, new data suggests.

Individualswho are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid have a higher prevalence ofdementia than Medicare-only beneficiaries, according to a data brief conductedby Avalere Health and published by the SCAN Foundation. As of 2009, 13% of dualeligibles over 65 were diagnosed with dementia, compared with just 4% of Medicare-onlyenrollees.

Accordingto the analysis, a significant number of people with Alzheimer’s do not have aformal diagnosis in their medical records, which led researchers to believetheir rates reflected in the data are conservative.

Per-capitaMedicare spending on individuals with dementia is $22,236,compared with $4,739 per capita on beneficiaries without dementia.

Click here to read the brief on dementia among dualeligibles, and here to read the brief about Medicarespending on dementia.