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What Can Economics Say about Alzheimer's Disease?

Author

Listed:
  • Amitabh Chandra
  • Courtney Coile
  • Corina Mommaerts

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects one in ten people aged 65 or older and is the most expensive disease in the United States. We describe the central economic questions raised by AD. Although there is overlap with the economics of aging and health, the defining feature of the "economics of Alzheimer's disease" is an emphasis on choice by cognitively impaired patients that affects health and financial well-being, and situations in which dynamic contracts between patients and caregivers are useful but difficult to enforce. A focus on innovation in AD prevention, treatment, and care is also critical given the enormous social cost of AD and present lack of understanding of its causes, which raises questions of optimal resource allocation and alignment of private and social incentives. The enormous scope for economists to contribute to our understanding of AD-related issues including drug development, efficient care delivery, dynamic contracting, long-term care risk, financial decision-making, and the design of public programs for AD suggests a rich research program for many areas of economics.

Suggested Citation

  • Amitabh Chandra & Courtney Coile & Corina Mommaerts, 2023. "What Can Economics Say about Alzheimer's Disease?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 61(2), pages 428-470, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jeclit:v:61:y:2023:i:2:p:428-70
    DOI: 10.1257/jel.20211660
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    Cited by:

    1. Carole Roan Gresenz & Jean M Mitchell & Belicia Rodriguez & R. Scott Turner & Wilbert Van der Klaauw, 2024. "The Financial Consequences of Undiagnosed Memory Disorders," Staff Reports 1106, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    2. Gresenz, Carole Roan & Mitchell, Jean M. & Rodriguez, Belicia & Wang, Crystal & Turner, R. Scott & van der Klaauw, Wilbert, 2025. "The financial consequences of undiagnosed memory disorders," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    3. John Ameriks & Andrew Caplin & Minjoon Lee & Matthew D. Shapiro & Christopher Tonetti, 2023. "Cognitive Decline, Limited Awareness, Imperfect Agency, and Financial Well-Being," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 125-140, March.
    4. Marianne Tenand & Pieter Bakx & Bram Wouterse, 2021. "The impact of co-payments for nursing home care on use, health, and welfare," CPB Discussion Paper 430, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    5. de Bresser, J.; & Knoef, M.; & van Ooijen, R.;, 2024. "The market for life care annuities: using housing wealth to manage longevity and long-term care risk," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 24/11, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • G50 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - General
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • L65 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Chemicals; Rubber; Drugs; Biotechnology; Plastics
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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