Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Tonko for the leadership that he has provided and the opportunity to rise to urge all of my colleagues to support S. 2076, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act.

I congratulate Senator Susan Collins for shepherding this bill through the Senate. I join together with my colleagues, Representatives Brett Guthrie, Paul Tonko, and Chris Smith, to introduce the House version of this bill in order to promote early detection and diagnosis, support caregivers, and reduce health disparities related to the care and treatment of Alzheimer's patients.

As the House Democratic co-chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, I know how devastating this disease can be for patients, families, and caregivers. Alzheimer's affects more than 5 million Americans, and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. There is no effective treatment, no means of prevention, and no method for slowing the progression of the disease.

Alzheimer's is very costly to society. In 2017, the direct cost of care for Alzheimer's and other dementias was approximately $259 billion, with 67 percent of those costs paid by Medicare or Medicaid. At the current rate, the direct costs of care for these tragic conditions will reach more than $1 trillion by 2050.

Most Alzheimer's patients require constant care and attention, especially when they are in the final stages of the disease. More than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care to family and friends living with Alzheimer's and other dementias. The Alzheimer's Association calculated that caregivers provided more than 18 billion hours of unpaid care for people with dementia in 2016, at an estimated value of more than $230 billion.

Alzheimer's has a devastating impact on caregivers. Compared with caregivers for people without dementia, twice as many caregivers for people with dementia indicate substantial emotional, financial, and physical stress.

The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act establishes Alzheimer's centers of excellence around the country to expand and promote innovative and effective Alzheimer's interventions. These interventions will support early detection, reduce the risk of hospitalizations and cognitive decline, support caregivers, and reduce health disparities. The BOLD Act will also improve data collection on the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer's and related dementias.

So, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here with my colleagues today, and I would certainly urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source