Amid the looming health threats aging baby boomers face – cancer, depression, diabetes and heart disease – the one modern medicine is least prepared to treat is Alzheimer’s disease. With no cure in sight, researchers who have been scrambling for limited government funds are now looking elsewhere for money.
The Alzheimer’s/Medicare Connection.
Hearing on “Alzheimer’s Disease: A Big Sky Approach to a National Challenge”.
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#politics #health care #ALZ #alzheimers #alzheimers research #medicare #seniors #elderly #entitlements #p2The most expensive disease in America is devouring federal and state health care budgets, and depleting the life savings of millions of victims and their families. But the greatest cost of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is not financial, but personal. This cruel ailment steals our memories, steals our independence and finally steals our dignity by eroding the ability to manage the basic tasks of daily life.
via AARP.
Related Reading:
Alzheimer’s Disease: A Big Sky Approach to a National Challenge.
Alzheimer’s disease is a thief. It robs a person of their memories, their identity, their independence and ultimately their life. It steals away loved ones from countless family members every year.
As one of the leading causes of death in our nation, Washington needs to wake up, consider Alzheimer’s a serious public health crisis, and move our researchers, our health care providers, our caregivers, patients and families closer to a cure.
via The Hill.
The Alzheimer’s/Medicare Connection.
Hearing on “Alzheimer’s Disease: A Big Sky Approach to a National Challenge”.
Fighting Alzheimer’s: A Radical Idea:
In 2015, Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the nation $226 billion. By 2050, these costs could rise as high a $1.1 trillion. Where is this money going to come from?
Our current health care system lacks adequate beds in nursing homes and hospitals and does not have enough trained health care workers for either residential or home care. Insurance coverage to supplement expenses for caregiving is inadequate and inflexible family-leave policies often force caregivers to leave the job market. And when family caregivers leave the work force, they pay fewer taxes, thereby reducing the tax base at precisely the moment when we need more money to sustain our already fragile health care system.
via Huffington Post.
Individuals that leave the workforce in order to care for loved ones should receive caregiver credits.
This is the price tag: $20.8 trillion. Because there is currently no way to stop or slow Alzheimer’s, that’s what we will all pay over the next generation to care for people with Alzheimer’s unless policymakers change the disease’s trajectory by adequately funding research for treatment.
via Reuters.
Related Reading:
Hearing on “Alzheimer’s Disease: A Big Sky Approach to a National Challenge”
Changing the Trajectory of Alzheimer’s Disease: How a Treatment by 2025 Saves Lives and Dollars calculates that a treatment introduced in 2025 that delays the onset of Alzheimer’s by five years would reduce the number of individuals affected by the disease by 5.7 million by mid-century and save all payers, including Medicare, Medicaid and families, more than $220 billion within the first five years.
via the Alzheimer’s Association.
Related Reading:
Hearing on “Alzheimer’s Disease: A Big Sky Approach to a National Challenge”
Do you think part of why it’s not a more strongly championed cause is because people think of it as something that affects older people?
Miller: That’s definitely one of them. It’s tough, we don’t have an adorable baby to put on our campaign posters, we don’t have success stories of people who have been cured of Alzheimer’s to get up and give a great, inspiring speech about how if you support us, people will be cured. It is an uphill battle, we’re very much at the beginning, but progress has been made. It’s just about rallying the voices. There are close to 6 million people living in this country with Alzheimer’s disease. So it’s about showing the caregivers for those people with the disease that they can use their voices, and if they do they’ll be heard, and change will come.
Rogen: And considering it’s costing the government more than any other disease, it’s especially odd that they don’t put more resources into trying to cure it.
via TIME.
Washington’s elected leaders need to recognize that increased Alzheimer’s funding is a win-win for our nation.
It’s clear that Alzheimer’s is not only devastating to the growing number of families whose loved ones are afflicted with this terrible disease but it’s impact will also be felt by every American who depends on vital health security programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
Medicare & Medicaid will spend $153 billion on Alzheimer’s in 2015 and $765 billion in 2050.
Related Reading:
Hearing on “Alzheimer’s Disease: A Big Sky Approach to a National Challenge”
According to a new study commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Association, America will spend $20.8 trillion dollars over the next generation to care for people with Alzheimer’s.
Seniors went to Capitol Hill earlier this month to tell Congress why their current #SocialSecurity benefits are inadequate. Boost Social Security Now! https://www.ncpssm.org/campaigns/boost-social-security-now/ @RepJohnLarson
