A 2017 study reported that close to 1 million people in the United States are living with MS. This doubles the previously accepted figures on MS prevalence in the U.S. Questions about whether MS was previously under-reported or if the incidence of MS is on the rise remain unanswered. 

The 21st Century Cures Act, passed by Congress in 2016, authorized the Centers for Disease Control to create a registy of neurological diseases, including MS. The data collected by this registry, called the National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System, holds the potential to answer many questions about MS. The first funding bill for the registry was signed in September, 2018.