Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are a growing problem in our nation, impacting more than 7 million Americans and costing families and taxpayers billions of dollars every year for treatment and specialized care.

Fortunately, there have been tremendous advances in medical science, including promising new options for early detection through simple blood tests that can identify dementia before symptoms even occur, allowing patients to receive treatment earlier, which can reduce overall treatment costs.

Unfortunately, Medicare is not always quick to adapt to these advancements in medical science.  Because of bureaucratic procedures that apply to new tests and treatments, it can take several years for new screening tools to be formally adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as allowable, covered expenses.

Prior to serving in public office, I worked as a nurse and encountered many families who were grappling with the impacts of dementia.  With a fast-progressing disease like Alzheimer’s, time is a vital resource because planning for treatment and care takes time and significant effort.  That is why it is simply unacceptable to ask seniors to wait years to receive coverage for dementia testing that can catch the disease early.

The Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act – H.R. 6130 and S.3267 – can have a transformative impact for Missouri families by ensuring Medicare coverage is available as soon as possible for blood-based biomarker tests that have been cleared by the FDA, without subjecting these tests to unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.

Early detection can make a tremendous difference for seniors impacted by Alzheimer’s, allowing them to access treatment that can slow disease progression.  This can enable them to live independently for longer and drastically improve their quality of life, while also providing more time to make plans for the additional help they will need in the future. 

Early treatment can also reduce costs for taxpayers, shown by a study from the University of Southern California finding that treatment before onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms can generate $307,000 in value per patient.  This could mean billions in savings overall with widespread adoption of early testing.  If we don’t do something, spending on Alzheimer’s treatment is predicted to exceed $450 billion by 2050.

Congress can improve seniors’ lives and save taxpayer money by passing the ASAP Act, and Missouri’s own Chairman Jason Smith, leader of the Ways and Means Committee, could play a key role in moving this bill forward by ensuring it receives a markup in his committee.  Throughout his time in Congress, Chairman Smith has been a steadfast supporter of Alzheimer’s treatment and testing, and I truly hope that he will ensure this much-needed legislation moves forward so it can receive a floor vote this fall.

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