The purpose of this study was to assess lifetime economic costs for people with four developmental disabilities (DDs): mental retardation, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, and vision impairment. Estimates were generated for direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, and productivity losses resulting from increased morbidity and premature mortality. Findings suggest that lifetime costs, in excess of costs for individuals without DDs, are approximately $870,000 per person for mental retardation and $800,000 per person for cerebral palsy (in 2000 dollars). Analogous cost estimates for hearing loss and vision impairment are approximately $330,000 and $470,000, respectively. Roughly four-fifths of total costs reflect productivity losses.
Economic costs of mental retardation, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, and vision impairment
Honeycutt, A. A., Grosse, S. D., Dunlap, L. J., Schendel, D. E., Chen, H., Brann, E., & al Homsi, G. (2003). Economic costs of mental retardation, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, and vision impairment. In B. M. Altman, S. N. Barnartt, G. E. Hendershot, & S. A. Larson (Eds.), Using survey data to study disability: Results from the National Health Survey on Disability (Vol. 3, pp. 207-228). Emerald Group Publishing. Research in Social Science and Disability Vol. 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3547%2803%2903011-2
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