Our Activities
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- Supporting a final push for at least $1.8 billion in new funding for dementia care, support, and research programs through the FY2018 congressional appropriations process.
- Leading federal advocacy for the 2017 National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports for Persons with Dementia and their Caregivers.
- Advocating for legislation to expand Medicare and Medicaid support for people living with dementia and their caregivers
- Providing public comments to CMS on the 2017 Physician Fee Schedules Provision on “Assessment and Care Planning for Patients with Cognitive Impairment.”
- Supporting the Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Act and the Alzheimer’s Beneficiary and Caregiver Support Act.
National Legislative Initiatives
Members of the LEAD Coalition and other allies are proud to support these recent legislative initiatives related to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Act (S. 3113 and H.R. 3090)
This proposed legislation would amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to create new grants for public and private health care providers. Grants would go toward training and support services for family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Grantees would include community-based organizations with the capacity to provide culturally competent programming for individuals and families. Members of the LEAD Coalition and other allies supported this legislation in formal letters to the congressional sponsors in the U.S. Senate and House on August 18, 2016.
Alzheimer’s Beneficiary & Caregiver Support Act (S. 3137 and H.R. 5681)
This proposed legislation would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to create a demonstration project to test the efficacy of providing family caregiver support services to caregivers of people living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. The support services would include a defined set of counseling sessions for patients and families, a caregiver assessment, and consultations to support the family caregiver as the need arises. Members of the LEAD Coalition and other allies supported this legislation in formal letters to the congressional sponsors in the U.S. Senate and House on August 18, 2016.
The Ensuring Useful Research Expenditures is Key for Alzheimer’s (EUREKA) Act (S. 2067 and H.R. 5073) (Included in the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016)
This proposed legislation would accelerate research and the development of tools and policies that can support people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. The act would also accelerate the review process at the Food and Drug Administration and create prize competitions to reward innovators in dementia. Members of the LEAD Coalition and other allies supported this legislation in a formal letter to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on November 20, 2015. The provisions of the act were included in part in the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016 (H.R. 34).
A Resolution on the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease (S. Res. 74)
This resolution expresses the commitment of the United States Senate to strengthen the quality of care and support for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and their family. Members of the LEAD Coalition and other allies supported this initiative in a formal letter to bill sponsor U.S. Senator Collins on February 16, 2015.
Federal Appropriations
Members of the LEAD Coalition and other allies have continued to push for increased federal funding to strengthen dementia care, support and science. As a result of our shared advocacy and remarkable bi-partisan support from Congress, NIH now devotes more than $1.8 billion annually to research focused on preventing and treating Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia along with research to improve quality of life among people living with these diseases and their caregivers. Our advocacy — along with that of the broader health and aging community — helped produce significant increases in Fiscal Year 2018 funding for a variety of social safety net programs vital to the wellbeing of people living with dementia and the caregivers, programs such as home delivered meals, family caregiver respite, adult protective services, and programs to address wandering.
FY 2019 HHS Appropriations (U.S House)
April 24, 2018 | Download
FY 2019 HHS Appropriations (U.S Senate)
April 24, 2018 | Download
FY 2018 HHS Appropriations (U.S House)
March 22, 2017 | Download
FY 2018 HHS Appropriations (U.S. Senate)
March 22, 2017 | Download
FY 2017 HHS Appropriations (U.S House)
November 11, 2016 | Download
FY 2017 HHS Appropriations (U.S. Senate)
November 11, 2016 | Download
FY 2017 HHS Appropriations (U.S House)
March 10, 2016 | Download
FY 2017 HHS Appropriations (U.S. Senate)
March 10, 2016 | Download
FY 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (U.S. House)
November 18, 2015 | Download
FY 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (U.S. Senate)
November 18, 2015 | Download
FY 2016 HHS Appropriations (U.S. House)
March 18, 2015 | Download
FY 2016 HHS Appropriations (U.S. Senate)
March 18, 2015 | Download