Congressmen are authors of law that required formation of first-ever national strategy to combat Alzheimer’s disease
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representatives Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Taskforce on Alzheimer’s Disease, sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius seeking information on the implementation of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which was released in May. The plan calls for $80 million in additional research funds for Alzheimer’s disease and $26 million for improved care and outreach program for fiscal year 2013. In 2010, Congress unanimously passed the bipartisan National Alzheimer’s Project Act, co-authored by Reps. Markey and Smith, which required the formation of the first-ever national strategy for fighting Alzheimer’s disease.
 
“The work already underway at HHS, along with the Department’s strategy for future action, reflects the urgency needed to address this national priority,” write the lawmakers in the letter to Secretary Sebelius.  “Improving care for Alzheimer’s patients and expanding Alzheimer’s disease research are critical to addressing the growing number of people who struggle daily with this disease, including their caregivers.”
 
A copy of the letter to HHS can be found HERE.
 
In the letter, the lawmakers query HHS on issues including the funding levels noted in the plan, the allocation of funds among various federal agencies and institutes with the National Institutes of Health, and the translation of funds into the tangible development of new drug and improvements in care. Reps. Markey and Smith specifically ask what benchmarks will be utilized to track progress to make sure HHS and the federal government is on track for the research goal of treating or preventing Alzheimer’s disease by 2025.
 
Of the top ten deadliest diseases, Alzheimer’s is the only one that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed. Today, more than five million Americans are dying from this devastating disease. It costs the federal government $140 billion annually from the Medicare and Medicaid budgets. Unless progress is made against this disease, by 2050, the U.S. government will spend $600 billion a year out of Medicare and $200 billion a year in Medicaid on Alzheimer’s alone.
 
In February, Rep. Markey introduced H.R. 3891, the bipartisan Spending Reductions Through Innovations in Therapies (SPRINT) Act, which would spur innovation in research and drug development for high-cost, chronic health conditions such as Alzheimer’s. 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.
 
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