New Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blood biomarker screening tests can now identify Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia in its earliest stages, allowing patients to access treatments at the point when they can be most effective. Under current law, Medicare cannot cover the costs for any dementia screening test for people without symptoms – a legal barrier only Congress can fix. The bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act, (H.R. 6130, S. 3267) would give the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary the authority to provide Medicare coverage for routine blood-based dementia screening tests, creating a clear and predictable clinical pathway for access to emerging detection tools approved by FDA.   

A second bill, the Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act, (H.R. 3747, S. 4036) will fund virtual dementia education and training, empowering primary care providers to better diagnose Alzheimer’s and other dementia. People living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia face unique health care challenges and most often primary care providers are the first clinicians with whom individuals discuss cognitive concerns. When trained providers deliver high-quality, patient-centered care in community-based settings, patients and their caregivers have better health results. This bill also supports programs that focus specifically on Alzheimer’s and dementia education to address knowledge gaps and help build the workforce capacity needed, especially as the number of people living with these conditions continues to grow.