Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive and fatal neuromuscular disease affecting nerve cells controlling voluntary muscles in all parts of the body. Methods: An analysis of the U.S. NIS of HCUPnet was performed over a 5-year period from 2010- 2014 using the ICD-9 principal diagnosis code: 335.20 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, to determine the costs and demographics of hospitalized ALS patients in the U.S. Results: There were 11,605 hospital discharges for ALS in the U.S. between 2010 and 2014. The mean cost per hospitalization over this period was $15,885. Cost per geographic region per hospitalization varied with the West costing $22,366, the Northeast $17,712, the South $13,946, and the Midwest $12,408. Discussion: ALS is a devastating and costly disease. With no cure in site, this disease will continue to contribute to health care costs nationally. Further research is needed to gain a better understanding of the financial impact in the U.S.
