Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act, legislation that I have introduced with my good friend and fellow Energy and Commerce Committee member, Congressman Brett Guthrie.
I thank both Chairman Walden and incoming Chair Pallone for their support of this particular legislation, and I greatly appreciate the partnership with Congressman Guthrie and his staff for helping to get this important legislation over the finish line today.
Alzheimer's is a brutal, devastating disease. Anyone whose life has been touched by Alzheimer's or related dementias knows the heart- wrenching toll that these diseases can and most often do take on an individual, on a family, and on a community.
Since first coming to Congress, I have been laser-focused on how we can reduce the devastating burden that Alzheimer's disease has on our families and our Nation. We have had great success, many successes in recent years with legislation such as the National Alzheimer's Project Act and the Alzheimer's Accountability Act helping to coordinate our medical research agenda and strengthen our case for the unprecedented investments that Congress has appropriated to effectively treat and find a cure for Alzheimer's.
With the HOPE for Alzheimer's Act, we were able to get CMS to provide coverage for comprehensive care planning services to Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers following a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. These care planning visits are a critical tool for families struggling for answers and help to lessen the burden of this disease.
Now we are taking another huge step forward with the passage of the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act, legislation that will invest in public health-oriented strategies for tackling Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
We know that in 2018, Alzheimer's and related dementias will cost our country $277 billion. By smartly investing in a public health infrastructure for this disease, we can reduce this cost burden on the local, State, and Federal Government, and improve care for those who have received an Alzheimer's diagnosis.
The BOLD Act will enhance our public health infrastructure in three main ways:
First, it will create Alzheimer's disease and related dementias public health centers of excellence. They will be dedicated to promoting effective Alzheimer's disease and caregiving interventions, as well as educating the public on Alzheimer's disease, cognitive decline, and brain health. These centers will implement the CDC's healthy aging public health road map and will take key steps to support health and social services professionals, as well as families and communities.
Second, the legislation will allow for State and local cooperative agreements with HHS that will be awarded to State health departments, subdivisions of States, or Tribal entities to develop and carry out Alzheimer's interventions. These awards will help States build a foundation and also help those States that are already investing in a public health approach to Alzheimer's to amplify their initiatives through public-private partnerships.
Finally, the BOLD Act will create data analysis and reporting cooperative agreements with HHS that will ensure that data on Alzheimer's, cognitive decline, caregiving, and health disparities are analyzed and disseminated to the public in a timely manner.
We need this legislation more than ever. The burden of Alzheimer's disease does not take a day off, and Congress cannot afford to either.
In closing, I again thank Chairman Walden, Ranking Member Pallone, House leadership, our Senate sponsors, and everyone who had a hand in this success today. Without such dedicated bipartisan Alzheimer's champions throughout Congress, we would not be making this strong step forward. It is mighty progress.
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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. TONKO. Maxine Waters). Representative Waters is from California's 43rd Congressional District and has invested a lot of time and work on the Alzheimer's issue, especially in her role as co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease.
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Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge passage of this legislation. The BOLD Act is another bit of foundation that we have done to move forward and conquer Alzheimer's and related dementias.
Those of us who function in government understand full well that our Federal, State, and local budgets have been impacted severely by Alzheimer's disease, but, most importantly, families have been burdened by this disease. So it is so important for us to move forward with this legislation that provides, again, hope to those families and individuals living with Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Speaker, I ask for support of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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