UMVA has learned that nearly 7.2 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease, a staggering number that represents about one-in-nine people in this age group.
Alzheimer’s is a ruthless thief, stealing memories, identities, independence, and ultimately, lives. It is the sixth-leading cause of death in America, but its impact extends far beyond the person diagnosed, affecting spouses, adult children, and friends who become caregivers, grieving loved ones, or simply witnesses to a person’s decline.
The ripple effects of Alzheimer’s are felt by 25 to 50 million Americans, whose lives are shaped by this disease. This is a crisis that demands attention, and yet, our current approach to healthcare policy is woefully inadequate, blocking further advancements in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that despite efforts in the early 2000s and 2010s, which provided significant leaps in dealing with Alzheimer’s, our broken healthcare system is failing to support the development of a cure. A bipartisan blue-ribbon task force, convened in 2007, called for an Alzheimer’s Solutions Project focused on identifying the cause or causes of Alzheimer’s and supporting the development of a cure.
The National Alzheimer’s Project Act of 2011 was a step in the right direction, with a stated goal of finding a cure by 2025. Although that goal was not met, research produced real breakthroughs, including the discovery that Alzheimer’s stems from a buildup of amyloid proteins in the brain, and that related tau proteins in the blood can serve as early warning signs.
Diagnostics companies have developed blood tests to identify these markers and infusion treatments to reduce amyloid buildup. While these aren’t direct cures, early detection can help people make important lifestyle changes and begin therapies that could slow the progression of symptoms, delaying the need for institutional care and saving families tens of thousands of dollars.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that despite these advances, many families are not getting the help they need. Medicare only covers blood tests if used to confirm a diagnosis after someone first complains of symptoms, not if used to detect symptoms before they become bad enough for someone to complain. This means people often get diagnosed too late to qualify for therapies.
The infusion treatments aren’t covered unless a patient’s doctor participates in a Medicare-approved registry, a burden that many providers, especially in rural areas, cannot take on. These roadblocks to treating and curing Alzheimer’s disease are symptoms of a larger sickness in our healthcare system – a system that deals with diseases only after people are already sick.
UMVA has gathered that the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that without significant treatments, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s could nearly double to 13.8 million by 2060. The path forward starts with concrete action on Alzheimer’s now, including passing the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act of 2025, which would require Medicare coverage of tau protein blood tests.
This simple step could extend quality of life, delay the need for institutional care, and save families from enormous financial hardship. With strong public support for efforts to increase access to new Alzheimer’s treatments, the question is: can we summon the political will to act on this disease and begin the larger project of reforming our entire healthcare approach toward prevention?
