What is the cost or economic impact associated with mental retardation?
Many people with mental retardation need long-term services or care. The average lifetime cost for one person with mental retardation is estimated to be $1,014,000 (in 2003 dollars). This represents costs over and above those experienced by a person who does not have a disability. It is estimated that the lifetime costs for all people with mental retardation who were born in 2000 will total $51.2 billion (in 2003 dollars). These costs include both direct and indirect costs. Direct medical costs, such as doctor visits, prescription drugs, and inpatient hospital stays, make up 14% of these costs. Direct nonmedical expenses, such as home modifications and special education, make up 10% of the costs. Indirect costs, which include the value of lost wages when a person dies early, cannot work, or is limited in the amount or type of work he or she can do, make up 76% of the costs. These estimates do not include other expenses, such as hospital outpatient visits, emergency department visits, r
