Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced a bipartisan resolution on Wednesday that would make preventing and treating Alzheimer’s disease before 2025 an “urgent national priority.”
The resolution calls on Congress to double the amount of funding allocated for Alzheimer’s disease in 2015 and to strive to allocate $2 billion a year in the future, which is the amount recommended by the Alzheimer’s Advisory Council.
“Like many families who have experienced the pain of Alzheimer’s, I know that there is no more helpless feeling than to watch the progression of this devastating disease,” Collins said. “Alzheimer’s disease is the only cause of death among the top ten in our nation without a way to prevent it, cure it or even slow its progression.”
Alzheimer’s disease is a public health and economic crisis, Collins added.
“At a time when the cost to Medicare and Medicaid of caring for Alzheimer’s patients is $142 billion a year, we are only spending slightly more than $500 million on Alzheimer’s research,” Collins said. “Surely, we must do more for Alzheimer’s research given the tremendous human and economic price of this devastating disease.”
The Alzheimer’s Association and USAgainstAlzheimer’s endorsed the resolution.