On July 9, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee approved a fiscal year 2014 bill that includes funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and, more specifically, for Alzheimer’s disease. The bill states that, “Without a medical breakthrough to prevent, slow, or stop [Alzheimer’s disease], the total payments for healthcare, long-term care, and hospice for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are projected to rise from $203 billion in 2013 to a staggering $1.2 trillion in 2050. This bill includes an $84 million increase for the National Institute on Aging, the NIH Institute with the primary responsibility for preventing, treating, and curing Alzheimer’s disease. The bill also includes $20 million for a new Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative that will strengthen dementia-capable long-term services and supports, assist caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, and train healthcare providers on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s and manage the disease.”
The full Senate Appropriations Committee will meet on July 11 to review the bill. For more information on the bill, click here