Klobuchar, Warner, Cole, and LaHood discuss progress and the path forward during National Alzheimer’s Summit

Washington, DC (October 23, 2024) — Speaking at the 2024 National Alzheimer’s Summit, four prominent members of the United States Congress called for increased action in addressing the nation’s Alzheimer’s crisis. While progress has been made, Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), along with Representatives Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), agreed there is much more work that needs to be done to combat this devastating disease.
The summit comes at a critical time, as Congress is set to take up key legislation and continue the fight against Alzheimer’s, particularly with The Concentrating on High-value Alzheimer's Needs to Get to an End (CHANGE) Act.

Accomplishments:

Representative Darin LaHood— a champion of the CHANGE Act—stressed the importance of early detection. The bill focuses on detecting Alzheimer’s early, which is critical for improving care and treatment outcomes. “We’ve made progress, passing the CHANGE Act through the Ways and Means Committee with bipartisan support.  We’re going to push, advocate, educate our members in the House and Senate to get this across the finish line,” said LaHood.

LaHood also highlighted his role in securing bipartisan support for research funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), calling it a smart investment. “We save taxpayers money in the long run by investing in NIH for Alzheimer’s research.  The cost associated with dementia, when it’s too late, cost more money in the end.”

All of them agreed on the financial burden Alzheimer’s places not only on the federal budget, but families across the country. “Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America, costing nearly $3 billion annually. If we delay its onset by just five years, we could save 42% of these costs, not to mention the human suffering it causes,” said Cole, who spearheaded the reauthorization of NAPA, extending the national strategic plan to fight Alzheimer’s through 2035.

There is Work That Still Needs to Be Done:

Despite the progress, the elected leaders agreed more action is needed. Senator Mark Warner emphasized the importance of supporting caregivers, urging policymakers to prioritize paid family leave and Medicare reimbursement for caregiving services. “We need to do more with caregiver burden…and look at Medicare reimbursement for caregivers,” said Warner.

He also called for reforms in health insurance practices to incentivize healthy behaviors that can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. “We should provide rewards for those who make behavior modifications…this is a societal issue, it’s not just something we can solve by government programs alone,” Warner added.

Senator Amy Klobuchar shared her personal connection to the disease, describing how her father’s battle with Alzheimer’s inspired her commitment to finding better treatments and supporting caregivers. "His experience deepened my commitment to pushing for effective treatments, supporting caregivers, and ultimately…finding a cure," Klobuchar stated.  Klobuchar also highlighted the importance of patient safety, mentioning her work with Senator Chuck Grassley to strengthen the Missing Americans Alert Program, which helps locate individuals with Alzheimer’s who wander. “We know that 60% of people living with dementia still wander at least once, and in the worst cases, wandering can be deadly. Just as we work toward more effective treatments and ultimately a cure, we need to keep our loved ones with dementia safe.”

As Congress moves forward on critical Alzheimer’s legislation, the message from the summit is clear: while much has been accomplished, much more work remains, and bipartisan support is essential to making further strides in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

“Alzheimer’s doesn’t care about political affiliations, said George Vradenburg, chair and co-founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, “It affects Democrats and Republicans alike, and the unity we’ve seen at this year’s summit is a reflection of how urgent it is for us to continue finding solutions that work for all.”