Congressman is House author of the law requiring development of national strategy to combat and cure Alzheimer’s disease
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a draft of the first ever National Alzheimer’s Plan. Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-Chair of the Congressional Taskforce on Alzheimer’s Disease, author of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) which required HHS to work with experts and representatives across the federal government to develop this historic plan, released the following statement. There are 5.4 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, including 120,000 in Massachusetts.
 
“I am pleased that HHS has moved swiftly to develop America’s first comprehensive plan for fighting Alzheimer’s disease, and has included in the plan the bold and transformative goal for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s by 2025.” said Rep. Markey. “When America has a plan, America wins.
 
“The Congressional Taskforce on Alzheimer’s disease and the entire Alzheimer’s community have long advocated for many of the specific strategies outlined in the draft plan, including the need to increase access to clinical trials, identify early stages of the disease, and expand public outreach campaigns. I am pleased that Secretary Sebelius and the appointed Advisory Council took into consideration diverse opinions and priorities when drafting this plan and worked across several federal agencies. Yet the real work is still to come with detailed benchmarks for each of the plan’s goals in order to effectively track progress. I will continue to fight to ensure that HHS has the funding and support needed to fully implement the final plan.”
 
A copy of the draft plan can be found HERE.
 
The draft plan includes many priorities reflected in Rep. Markey’s legislation and the work of the Congressional Taskforce on Alzheimer’s disease, including timely and accurate diagnoses and support of families upon diagnosis. In April 2011, Rep. Markey authored the Health Outcomes, Planning and Education (H.O.P.E.) Act to encourage early Alzheimer’s diagnoses and connect caregivers to information and resources.
 
Similarly, the draft national plan emphasizes the continued need for basic research on the science of Alzheimer’s. In May, Rep. Markey and Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), co-Chair of the Congressional Taskforce on Alzheimer’s disease, introduced the Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act, which would require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create a strategic plan to expedite therapeutic outcomes for those with or at risk of Alzheimer’s disease and coordinate Alzheimer’s research within the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health and across all Centers and Institutes of the NIH.
 
HHS will be collecting input on the draft plan through February 8, 2012.
 
Today, the federal government spends over $130 billion on Alzheimer's disease through Medicare and Medicaid. By 2050 we are projected to over $800 billion dollars every year on Alzheimer's disease, more than the entire Medicare budget today.