Economic Costs of Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Hearing Loss, and Vision Impairment

Ensuring Financial Access to Hearing Aids for Infants and Young Children

“…The lifetime economic cost of permanent hearing loss in children in terms of special education expenditures, direct medical costs, and lost productivity is estimated to be more than $400 000 per child. 17 The Children's Audiology Financing Workgroup concluded that the option with the most potential to eliminate financial access barriers for all infants and young children with hearing loss is to clarify that under the Part C regulations, all infants and young children with permanent hearing loss are eligi- Remarkable progress has been made in the last decade in identifying infants with hearing loss; comparable efforts will be needed in the next decade to ensure that they receive the necessary intervention and treatment services, including high-quality hearing aids and related professional services. …”

“…In 2000, the annual average education expenditure per student for a child with hearing loss was more than twice that for a child without a disability ($15 992 vs $6556), 16 and the estimated lifetime economic cost of hearing loss in children is more than $2 billion (an average of $417 000 per child). 17 For most children with permanent hearing loss, many of the negative outcomes can be minimized or avoided completely with early identification and intervention, including the use of appropriate hearing technology. [18][19][20] …”

“…• Coverage under Part C can significantly reduce the costs of future special education services needed by these children under Part B of the IDEA. 17 • Timely and appropriate provision of hearing aids will facilitate and enhance the delivery of effective earlyintervention services. [18][19][20] • Programs can require family contribution toward the cost of hearing aids and related professional services on the basis of income but cannot deny services if payment is not made.…”

Health‐promoting physical activity of adults with mental retardation

“…First, the healthcare costs associated with inactivity among the general population are extreme, with estimates of $75 billion in the United States alone [World Heath Organization, 2003]. There are no data regarding the costs of inactivity in people with MR, but the lifetime direct medical and nonmedical (e.g., physician visits, inpatient hospital stays) costs associated with this condition are estimated at over $12 million [Honeycutt et al, 2004]. It is reasonable to assume that this can be partially attributed to chronic disease and disability due to inactivity.…”

“…It is reasonable to assume that this can be partially attributed to chronic disease and disability due to inactivity. Second, indirect costs such as premature death, lost wages, and work limitations are estimated at over $38 million and account for 76% of the total lifetime costs related to the MR diagnosis [Honeycutt et al, 2004], and it is reasonable to predict that a portion of these costs are due to inactivity. These are U.S. statistics, but the high costs of dependent care for people with MR have also been observed in other industrialized countries [Stancliffe and Keane, 2000;Polder et al, 2002].…”