We Need Medicare Coverage for Alzheimer's Treatments

Last week, advocates turned Capitol Hill purple to bring awareness to the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s and ensure elected officials keep dementia a national priority. Our legislators need to hear our critical requests in D.C. and in their home districts, so I am advocating from home in honor of my mother who died of Alzheimer’s in 2015.

With two FDA-approved treatments and more promising drugs in the pipeline, now is the time to keep the spotlight on Alzheimer’s. These treatment options offer more time with your loved ones, but a recent Medicare/Medicaid policy applying ONLY to those with Alzheimer’s disease, denies coverage for these drugs. Without Medicare coverage, people living with Alzheimer’s disease will be expected to pay $26,000 per year for treatment.

Representative Chuy Garcia, I implore you to request CMS to change their policy on FDA-approved treatments for Alzheimer’s. Support the more than 6 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s, including 230,000+ in Illinois — a number expected to nearly triple by 2050.

Please join me in asking Representative Garcia to hear our requests and ensure FDA-approved treatments for Alzheimer’s are accessible.

To learn more about this issue, please visit alzimpact.org.

Thank you!