Senate leaders of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease applauded the $289 million increase in Alzheimer’s and dementia funding in the 2022 omnibus spending package, but they say it shouldn’t stop there.
In a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee, task force co-chairs Susan Collins (R-ME), Edward Markey (D-MA), and Mark Warner (D-VA) wrote, “We urge you to continue to prioritize and build upon your commitments to Alzheimer’s disease research and public health initiatives.”
The senators pointed out that the number of Alzheimer’s patients is expected to double over the next 25 years from 6 million to 13 million. The task force members said the disease and dementia-related illnesses currently cost the nation an estimated $355 billion a year, half of which is shouldered by Medicare.
“Consistent and robust investment in medical and clinical research for Alzheimer’s disease puts us on the path to defeating this devastating disease,” Markey said in a statement.
Last year, Congress increased the amount of money invested in Alzheimer’s research by $300 million, bringing the total investment in the disease to more than $3 billion.
Last week, Congress passed the Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus appropriations bill, which sets spending levels and allocations for funds for the remainder of the 2022 fiscal year. The omnibus package provides $1.5 trillion budget authority for FY 2022, which is 6% higher than 2021 levels.
The bill includes $197 billion for the Departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services. Among the many initiatives in the package is an extension in flexibilities in telehealth services five months beyond the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
