U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) earlier this month joined as a cosponsor of bipartisan, bicameral legislation to bolster awareness about and reporting on Medicare-provided care planning services for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
“It is important that people in our community and across the country know that there are resources available to them,” Rep. Buchanan said on Monday. “Care planning is critical for reducing hospitalizations and managing other conditions that may be complicated by Alzheimer’s.”
Rep. Buchanan on May 7 became one of 38 cosponsors of the Improving Health Outcomes, Planning and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer’s Act, H.R. 1873, which was introduced in March by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY). The companion bill, the same-named S. 880, also was unveiled in March and has 31 cosponsors, including original cosponsors U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).
Currently, 5.8 million Americans live with the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, which expects that number to increase to roughly 13.8 million by 2050.
“Patients and their families often struggle following a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, one of the leading causes of death in the United States,” said Rep. Buchanan.
Medicare began covering care planning services in 2017 to assist Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers, but Rep. Buchanan said many Americans and their doctors remain unaware that they have access to this resource.
The Improving HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to conduct education and outreach about care planning services to healthcare providers, including via education initiatives, diagnostic evaluations and materials, according to the text of the bill.
The bill also would require the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to report on the outreach, as well as any barriers patients might have in accessing care planning services.