Thank You Rep. Budzinski for Supporting Early Alzheimer’s Detection

A simple blood test can now detect Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms even appear... a scientific breakthrough that has the potential to change lives for families across Illinois. Yet today, fewer than 10% of individuals living with mild cognitive impairment ever receive a diagnosis early enough to benefit from available treatments.

That’s why I’m grateful to Rep. Nikki Budzinski for cosponsoring the bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act.

This legislation would create a pathway for Medicare to cover FDA-approved blood tests that detect Alzheimer’s biomarkers. Right now, a major barrier exists as Medicare cannot cover screening tests for individuals without symptoms, even when science supports early detection. This is not a scientific limitation, but a policy one that Congress has the power to fix.

Alzheimer’s is deeply personal for me. I recently lost my mom, and like so many families, we experienced firsthand how difficult and uncertain the journey can be. Earlier detection wouldn’t have changed everything, but it could have provided more time, more clarity, and more opportunities to plan and support her along the way.

The important thing is this... early detection gives families hope, options, and a chance to face this disease with more information and support.

I join the Alzheimer’s Association in thanking Rep. Budzinski for her leadership and urge continued action to move the ASAP Act forward.

To learn about this disease and how you can join the fight to end Alzheimer's, visit alz.org.

— Angie Doehring, Springfield, IL