Alzheimer's and Effective Treatment
In 2018,Medicare and Medicaid will spend an estimated $186 Billion providing care for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. The most expensive disease in America. By 2050, this is expected to exceed $ 725 Billion not counting for inflation, and cumulatively, between 2015 and 2050, Medicare and Medicaid will spend $ 14 7 Trillion. Funding research could first find an effective treatment, if that treatment would postpone the onset of Alzheimer's by just 5 years the cost savings would be dramatic. The National Alzheimer's Plan calls for an effective treatment by 2025.If this goal could be reached Medicare and Medicaid cost could be reduced by $121 Billion in the first 5 years. Such a treatment would save $47 Billion in the year 2030 alone. In fact, the cost of research to reach this goal could be recouped in just 3 years!
In the first 10 years Medicare, cumulatively, would save $345 Billion and Medicaid would save $189 Billion, 2015 dollars. Over the next 25 years, the cost savings to taxpayers would cumulatively be $3.1Trillion.
To reach these goals we must invest in research. The Senate passed the FY 2019 budget request of $425 million for research through the National Institute of Health and that amount must now be vote on by the House.
I urge you to ask your Congressman to support this critical $425 million funding request. I thank Congressman David Scott of Georgia District 13 for his ongoing support of Alzheimer's research.