To the Editor,

This week, I visited Newton Congressman Jake Auchincloss, in Washington, D.C., to ask for his support on three legislative priorities around Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

I, along with others from around his district, discussed the importance of passing the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act, FY27 funding for dementia research and public health programs, and the Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act.

There are currently 135,000 Massachusetts residents 65 years and older living with Alzheimer’s disease. There are others suffering with other forms of dementia and mild cognitive impairment, and there are also a few hundred under the age of 65 living with Alzheimer’s, too. Those folks are supported by 220,000 unpaid caregivers, and MassHealth alone spends $2.3 billion annually for their care.

The urgency to find a cure to Alzheimer’s and all dementia is real, as evidenced by these numbers. The ASAP Act can help get us there by paving the way for Medicare to cover the first-ever Food and Drug Administration-approved blood tests for Alzheimer’s that came out just last year. Without coverage for these accessible, non-invasive and cheap tests, many Americans will go without a diagnosis. They’ll miss out on available treatments until it’s too late.

Congressman Auchincloss has signed onto the ASAP Act—thank you! I urge Senators Markey and Warren to do the same, and for all three to support research funding and the AADAPT Act. Together, we can ensure that Alzheimer’s and dementia become a thing of the past.

Katherine O’Malley
Nonantum