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ALS and the crushing cost of care: How 4 Americans face the 'bankruptcy disease'

Cnbc · · 2655 words · By Kamaron McNair
Financial burden of chronic illness Patient advocacy and research funding Healthcare accessibility and insurance
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/14/als-healthcare-costs.html

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Appeal to Pity 70% confidence
Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

18 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 8
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help Insufficient Evidence 2
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“For the roughly 5,000 people diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, each year, the disease is terminal.”
CORROBORATED
The ALS Association (als.org) confirms more than 5,000 people are diagnosed annually. General medical knowledge and the provided search results regarding ALS progression (Mayo Clinic) support that the disease is terminal.
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · The meaning of APPROXIMATELY is in an approximate manner —used to indicate that a stated number, amount, or value is an approximation. How to use approximately in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approximately
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web search NEUTRAL — Get a quick, free translation! APPROXIMATELY definition: 1. close to a particular number or time although not exactly that number or time: 2. close to a…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/approxim…
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web search NEUTRAL — Approximately is close to a particular time, measurement, or number — but it's not exact. If you plan to meet a friend at approximately 2:00, it will be okay if you are a bit early or late.
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/approximately
info
“An estimated 33,000 Americans had ALS as of 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists only of dictionary definitions for the word 'according' and does not contain any data from the CDC or statistics regarding the number of Americans with ALS.
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Synonyms for ACCORDING: corresponding, coinciding, conforming, agreeing, fitting, consisting, checking, answering; Antonyms of ACCORDING: differing (from), disagreeing (with), contradictin…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/according
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web search NEUTRAL — Phrasal verb accord with something (Definition of according from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/accordin…
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web search NEUTRAL — ACCORDING definition: agreeing. See examples of according used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/according
info
“the total is expected to rise to over 36,000 by 2030”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence describes what ALS is and its symptoms, but does not provide any projections or numbers regarding the prevalence of the disease by 2030.
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web search NEUTRAL — Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), formerly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a neurological disease that affects motor neurons—those nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary …
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/amyot…
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web search NEUTRAL — More than 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS every year,
https://www.als.org/understanding-als/what-is-als
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web search NEUTRAL — As amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progresses, complications may include: Trouble breathing. Over time, ALS leads to weakness of the muscles used to breathe.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amyotrophic-l…
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“The average age of diagnosis is 55”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and a specific ALS age of onset search result) confirm that the average age at diagnosis is 55.
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web search NEUTRAL — Age: Although ALS can happen at any age, symptoms most commonly develop between the ages of 55 and 75. Biological sex: Men are slightly more likely to develop ALS than women.How is amyotrophic lateral…
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/amyot…
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web search NEUTRAL — Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) refers to a variety of conditions known collectively as motor neuron diseases. ALS is often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after a well-known baseball s…
https://brooksrehab.org/conditions/amyotrophic-lateral-scler…
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web search NEUTRAL — ALS can occur in adults of any age. This condition is more common in people between 40 and 70 years old, and the average age at diagnosis is 55 years old. However, younger adults in their 20s and 30s …
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/als-age-of-onset
info
“ALS costs patients enrolled in Medicare an average of $47,000 in their first year following diagnosis, a 2025 ALS Association study found.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim only contains general information about the year 2025 and does not mention any ALS Association study or specific Medicare costs.
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web search NEUTRAL — 2025 (MMXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2025th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 25th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025
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web search NEUTRAL — Yearly calendar showing months for the year 2025. Calendars – online and print friendly – for any year and month.
https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2025&country=1
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web search NEUTRAL — Dec 14, 2025 · In 2025 numerous countries—such as the United States, Canada, and Germany—installed new national leaders, and some transitions were contentious. Several African countries experienced co…
https://www.britannica.com/topic/2025-Year-in-Review
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“That amounts to an average out-of-pocket cost of $6,802, more than three times as much as the $2,050 those without ALS owe.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided discusses the definition of ALS and the average age of onset, but contains no financial data regarding out-of-pocket costs for Medicare patients.
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web search NEUTRAL — Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), formerly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a neurological disease that affects motor neurons—those nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary …
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/amyot…
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web search NEUTRAL — develop ALS between the ages of 40 and 70, with 55 the average age.
https://www.als.org/understanding-als/who-gets-als
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web search NEUTRAL — University of Calgary researchers are recruiting ALS patients to test the potential of a well-established antipsychotic drug called Orap (pimozide).
https://alsnewstoday.com/news/canadian-clinical-trial-enroll…
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“A 2024 study by biopharmaceutical company Biogen similarly found that average costs for people diagnosed with ALS rise from around $31,000 annually in the disease's early stages to around $121,000 annually in the late stages.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists of general information about the year 2024 (elections and calendars) and does not mention Biogen or ALS costs.
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web search NEUTRAL — On November 5, 2024, Republican Donald Trump won the 2024 United States presidential election, becoming the first U.S. president to be elected to a nonconsecutive second term since 1892. [21][22] The …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024
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web search NEUTRAL — United States 2024 – Calendar with American holidays. Yearly calendar showing months for the year 2024. Calendars – online and print friendly – for any year and month
https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2024&country=1
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web search NEUTRAL — Jan 1, 2024 · 2024 Calendar. User-friendly calendar of 2024, the dates are listed by month including week numbers. View the online 2024 calendar.
https://www.calendar-365.com/2024-calendar.html
info
“people with common cancer diagnoses and private insurance may face out-of-pocket costs averaging about $600 a month for the first six months after diagnosis... a Journal of American Medical Association study found in 2025.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One search result confirms a JAMA study exists, but the provided evidence does not detail the specific $600 monthly cost figure. Other results discuss general 2026 insurance costs but not the specific JAMA finding.
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web search NEUTRAL — A recent Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle…
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web search NEUTRAL — Average Cost of Cancer Treatment Without Insurance. Cancer is something no one wants to think about, but it’s essential to understand the potential costs if it becomes a reality.
https://www.internationalinsurance.com/countries/usa/healthc…
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web search NEUTRAL — The average cost of health insurance in 2026 for an adult on a Silver-tier plan is $687 per month. These costs don’t include subsidies such as cost-sharing reductions. Discover how much health insuran…
https://www.moneygeek.com/insurance/health/average-cost-of-h…
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“short-term hospital stays, which run over $11,200 on average for Medicare beneficiaries, compared with about $3,200 for those without ALS, the ALS Association study found.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
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“Durable medical equipment costs around $5,500 annually and prescription drugs run patients about $6,300 per year.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
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“25% of people with ALS or caring for someone with the disease say they have had to borrow money or go into debt to cover their costs, according to a separate 2020 survey from the ALS Association.”
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“There is currently no known cure for ALS”
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“only about 20% of people with the disease live for five years or longer after diagnosis, according to ALS Association.”
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“the SOD1 mutation, a genetic mutation found in 10% to 20% of familial ALS cases, per the ALS Association.”
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“People who have been diagnosed with ALS generally won't be able to get whole or term life insurance policies, according to Insurance Brokers USA.”
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“veterans are twice as likely as non-veterans to develop ALS, according to nonprofit I Am ALS.”
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“As of December 2020, Americans with ALS can receive SSDI benefits immediately after applying, following the passage of the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act.”
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“Typically, there is a five-month waiting period for SSDI benefits, according to the Social Security Administration.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.