It is time we change our thinking on Alzheimer’s disease. Too often Alzheimer’s is treated as an aging issue; ignoring the public health consequences of a disease that someone in the U.S. develops every 66 seconds. And with two-thirds of its annual costs being borne by Medicare and Medicaid, it is one that demands more attention from our government.

I lost my sister, my mentor, my best friend to this devastating disease last year. She was diagnosed at the age of 51, and passed at the early age of 59. She left behind, a wonderful, caring husband, three beautiful & amazing children and 2 grandbabies and another one on the way. This disease has become a serious Public Health issue.

Congress has the chance to take decisive action passing the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 2076/H.R. 4256). Endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act would create an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions including increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations.

Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in the U.S. Alzheimer’s costs the country more than $259 billion a year, which is why we need the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. If we are going to end Alzheimer’s disease, then we must start treating it like the public health threat it is.

Join me in asking Senator Corker, Senator Alexander and Congressman Marsha Blackburn to fight for the millions of Americans affected by Alzheimer’s by sponsoring the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act.

Sincerely,

Laura Musgrave
2018 Chair for the Nashville Walk to End Alzheimer’s

About the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act:
The bipartisan BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (H.R. 4256), would create an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions focused on public health issues such as increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations. If passed, this act will establish Alzheimer’s Centers of excellence, award cooperative agreements to public health departments, and increase data collection, analysis, and timely reporting. The savings to Medicare and Medicaid if the BOLD Act is passed into law will be enormous. Hospitalizations due to dementia cost Medicare $2.6 billion in 2013. Specifically, the BOLD Act will 1) establish Alzheimer’s Centers of Excellence. These Centers will increase education of public officials, health care professionals, and the public on Alzheimer’s, brain health, and health disparities. 2) The BOLD Act will award cooperative agreements to public health departments which will allow them to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions. And 3) the BOLD Act will increase data collection, analysis and timely reporting.