HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act

Today, the Alzheimer’s Association and its relentless advocates applaud the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee for its commitment to the more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and their more than 15 million caregivers. In a bipartisan effort, the committee included the Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 857) in its funding bill. Since its inception, the Alzheimer’s Association has been intricately involved with its creation and strongly endorsed the HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act upon introduction by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). In the years since its initial introduction, the Alzheimer’s Association and its advocates have made securing bipartisan support for the legislation a key policy priority. As of today, the bipartisan bill has 55 cosponsors in the Senate and a companion bill in the House of Representatives (H.R. 1559), led by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), has 284 cosponsors.

If signed into law, the HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act will ensure newly diagnosed Medicare beneficiaries receive comprehensive care planning services. In addition to its commitment to care and support services, today the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee also approved a $400 million increase in Alzheimer’s disease research funding at NIH. Harry Johns, Alzheimer’s Association President and CEO stated, “The HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act will give people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers access to critical information and support that will help in their journey with this devastating disease.”  http://www.alz.org/news_and_events_103556.asp