United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) can take a decade or more to approve new screening tools; even as science surges ahead, USPSTF still has not recommended cognitive assessments as a screening tool. Medicare has imposed unprecedented restrictions on coverage for FDA-approved therapies, making it harder for patients with early stage Alzheimer’s to access treatment. Our systems must now prioritize prevention, treating the disease even before symptoms appear, and these tools must be accessible as soon as possible.
Policymakers must step up, modernize coverage, and ensure patients aren’t left waiting years for breakthroughs while their disease advances.
Patients and families deserve access to today’s advances and tomorrow’s innovations. The promise is real – we just need policy to catch up with the science.
Learn more about Medicare’s decision, and its impact on patients:
Living with Alzheimer’s disease should not be made worse by federal regulators singling the disease out for coverage restrictions and denying treatment. It’s time for Washington to modernize and reconsider restrictive policies so patients aren't waiting for decades for treatments while their disease and related needs for care progress.
Patients deserve access to the current tools – and future innovations – that help fight this disease.
