AHCA/NCAL Supports the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act

AHCA/NCAL has added its name to the list of national organizations that support the bipartisan Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act, or BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 2076/H.R. 4256), which would apply a public health approach to Alzheimer’s disease.  Headed by the Centers of Disease and Prevention (CDC), it would create a modern infrastructure for the prevention, treatment, and care of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.  More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and the United States spends more than $277 billion per year, including $186 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid.  Without further action, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s is expected to triple to as many as 14 million by 2050, costing the nation more than $1.1 trillion per year.

Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced S.  2076, and it is co-sponsored by 57 Senators.  Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Christopher Smith (R-NJ) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives, and it is co-sponsored by 253 members.  It is also supported by 181 organizations and individuals.  The bill was approved by the full Senate on December 12, 2018, and has been sent to the House for consideration.