NEWS

March, 2026 News

LEAD Coalition Supports Passage of the ASAP Act

On March 9, the LEAD Coalition (Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease), the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) – along with 449 signatories – wrote to Congress in support of the bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act (H.R. 6130 / S.3267). This bipartisan legislation aims to ensure timely access to innovative screening tests that can detect Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia in their earliest stages.

Under current law, Medicare can cover only preventive services that Congress has specifically authorized or that are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). This process can delay coverage for years after screening tests receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The ASAP Act modernizes that process by authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide Medicare coverage for FDA-approved or cleared blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. For more information about the ASAP Act, read the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement press release and the ASAP Act Fact Sheet.

Bipartisan lawmakers urge HHS Secretary to fill NIH advisory council vacancies 

Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), André Carson (D-IN-07), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) led a bipartisan letter along with 31 of their colleagues urging Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to fill vacant positions on National Institutes of Health (NIH) advisory councils. According to a report published in Nature, thirteen of the agency’s 24 national advisory councils – which are responsible for the final review of research grant applications at specific institutes and centers –  are on track to have no voting members by the end of 2026; this would include advisory councils for the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Failure to appoint new members to these councils could stall the final approval of research grants and delay critical medical research.

Senate passes bill to reauthorize SBIR/STTR programs; now heads to the House

On March 3, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation (S.3971) to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through Sept. 30, 2031. Following a five-month lapse of these important programs, this five-year plan from the Senate is a welcome compromise. Led by Senate Small Business Committee Chair Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Ranking Member Senator Ed Markey (D-MA.), the bipartisan agreement aims to strengthen America’s seed fund, protect sensitive technology, and immediately reopen these critical innovation programs. The bill now heads to the House, which previously passed a one-year extension (H.R.5100).

ACL releases report on the impact of dementia grant activities

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has released a new report detailing the lasting impact of ACL dementia grant activities from 2014-2024. To compile these findings, the National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center (NADRC) conducted a survey with grant recipients that had been without ACL grant funding for at least one year. Almost all surveyed recipients sustained some or all of their grant-funded activities after their grant funding expired, and a majority of those activities were continuing at the time of the survey. Many sustained activities had been expanded to serve more people or adapted to meet evolving needs. The report includes information on the methods and types of sustained activities, modifications made, why recipients stopped certain activities, and case studies about successfully sustained activities.

CDMRP releases Alzheimer’s Research Program funding pre-announcement

The Department of Defense has released pre-announcements for anticipated fiscal year (FY) 2026 funding opportunities associated with its Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). Among the programs is the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program (AZRP) which supports innovative, high-impact research with clinical relevance that will address critical needs and improve the quality of life for service members, veterans, their families, and the public who are living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia (AD/ADRD). Applications submitted to the FY2026 AZRP must address at least one of the three priority areas, i.e., reduce risk and prevent AD/ADRD, improve diagnosis and prognosis, and improve quality of life for people living with a dementia diagnosis, including care partners and families.The CDMRP will post FY2026 AZRP funding opportunity announcements on the Grants.gov website. Once released, the funding opportunity announcements will include pre-application and application deadlines.

Additional Reads

• Why Music Might Help Keep the Brain Healthy as We Age (read here)
• Early Alzheimer’s increased connectivity lowered by cancer drug in the lab (read here)
• Behavioural changes may be linked to early dementia‑related processes (read here)
• ‘How is he going to have the time?’ NIH staff voice concern as Bhattacharya takes on CDC role (read here)
• Modeling Brain Aging and Resilience Over the Lifespan Reveals New Individual Factors (read here)
• These 8 Common Habits Could Increase Your Risk Of Dementia (read here)
• How Stand Up For Science is trying to “pull every lever” to win over the public (read here)
• Trump administration’s embattled FDA vaccine chief ousted for the second time (read here)
• Tubulin prevents toxic protein clumps in the brain, fighting back neurodegeneration (read here)
• Should the practice of sedating the elderly in nursing homes be loosened? (read here)
• Many patients want to talk about their faith. Neurologists often don’t know how. (read here)
• Using Digital Cognitive Assessments for Dementia Diagnosis: Are Primary Care Providers Ready? (read here)
• Diagnosed at 47: Ben Draper’s Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Journey (read here)
• Lithium Trial Misses Endpoints (read here)
• Yale study challenges notion that aging means decline, finds many older adults improve over time (read here)
• New research finds personal control reduces loneliness in older Australians (read here)
• Research shows how lost memories can be reactivated (read here)
• Enhanced brain cells clear away dementia-related proteins (read here)
• Mayo Clinic researchers link Parkinson’s-related protein to faster Alzheimer’s progression in women (read here)
• Study offers guidance on the therapeutic use of mindfulness, yoga to boost mental health for dementia patients (read here)
• Quitting Smoking at Any Age Linked to Improved Cognitive Benefits (read here)
• Sleep habits may raise dementia risk — and researchers are closer to understanding how (read here)
• Can we prevent Alzheimer’s disease within a decade? (read here)
• Researchers Identify Specific Protein and Sugar Molecules Affected by Aging, Disease (read here)
• Air pollution’s link to dementia is getting stronger. Here’s how to reduce your risk (read here)
• UK researchers discover brain’s energy ‘hijacked’ by Alzheimer’s protein (read here)
• Mayo Clinic researchers identify key DNA changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• Dementia is rising fast – 5 surprising ways to protect your brain (read here)
• Functional photoacoustic microscopy reaches super-resolution by tracking red blood cells (read here)
• Communicating With Patients, Families in Evaluations for Alzheimer’s Disease (read here)
• Falls might be just as accurate in predicting future Alzheimer’s disease as amyloid in the brain: study (read here)
• Pilot Clinical Trial Suggests Low-dose Lithium May Slow Verbal Memory Decline (read here)
• VOICES: Dementia Didn’t End My Life — It Changed It (read here)
• Don’t Forget: photography to investigate Alzheimer’s (read here)

February, 2026 News

NAPA Advisory Council reconvenes

On February 9, the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services — mandated by the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) — reconvened for the first time since January 2025. During the meeting, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) introduced and swore in new non-federal Council members. HHS and federal agencies provided an overview of their work under NAPA, federal agencies newly engaged in NAPA introduced themselves, and HHS offered ideas for how they might reimagine the National Plan for 2026 and beyond. Returning council member, Dr. Randy Bateman, presented on research advancements in the field over the last decade and a guest presentation featured a new experimental robotic surgical procedure. The end of the day featured discussion by Council members and comments offered by members of the public. The meeting agenda and other materials, including all presentation slides, are posted on the NAPA website; the full videocast of the meeting should be available on the NAPA page soon. The Advisory Council’s next meeting date has not been announced yet, but is expected to occur in April or May 2026.

Breaking News: President signs FY2026 funding package into law, ending partial government shutdown

On February 3, the President signed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 funding package (Consolidated Appropriations Act, H.R.7148) into law, ending the partial government shutdown that began on January 31. The package includes the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies spending bill, which provides $116.8 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an increase of $210 million in discretionary funding over FY 2025. The bipartisan agreement, now enacted into law, rejects the Administration’s proposal to significantly cut public health funding and restructure departments within public health agencies and includes several provisions requiring HHS to consult with the Appropriations Committees prior to taking action (e.g., terminating grants).

The FY 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act advances numerous LEAD Coalition priorities; for example, the law increases funding for AD/ADRD work at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and protects funding for Alzheimer’s programs at the Administration for Community Living and geriatrics workforce initiatives at the Health Services and Resources Administration. Additional details about specific agency and program/initiative funding levels are included in the previous post “Senate and House Appropriators Release Agreement on Labor-HHS Funding” at the top of the January News section of this page. For more details on aging services funding, see the National Council On Aging’s FY 2026 Aging Program Funding table.

OPM to begin implementing “Schedule Policy/Career” reclassification, removing civil service protections

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is finalizing the creation of a new employment classification for federal employees titled “Schedule Policy/Career.”  The final rule (OPM-2025-0004) is expected to reclassify more than 50,000 federal employees across the government, removing longstanding civil service protections (e.g., rights to appeal termination).

Previously proposed as “Schedule F” during the first Trump Administration, the rule establishes a distinct class of federal employees under the Schedule Policy/Career designation. Agencies are expected throughout February to identify “policy” positions for reclassification, with lists subject to White House review prior to implementation. OPM has stated that the change is intended to strengthen accountability within the federal workforce and ensure alignment with the President’s policy priorities.

As directed via Executive Order 14171, OPM released a draft rule for public input in April 2025. The agency received more than 40,000 comments in response to the draft rule, approximately 94% of which expressed concern that the policy could increase the politicization of career civil service roles. Despite these public comments, the final rule was published in the Federal Register on February 6, 2026, and is expected to take effect 30 days after publication.

NIH will cease classifying Basic Experimental Studies in Humans (BESH) as clinical trials

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that Basic Experimental Studies in Humans (BESH) will no longer be classified as clinical trials under NIH’s definition used for grant applications and reporting requirements (NOT-OD-26-032). This change rolls back a 2014 definition update that required BESH research, which seeks to understand fundamental biological or behavioral processes without the explicit intent to directly improve health or change clinical practice, to be subject to standard clinical trial requirements (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov registration and results reporting). The Trump administration has proposed this change – which will be effective for grant applications with due dates on or after May 25, 2026 – in an attempt to reduce administrative burden. BESH studies still must comply with human-subjects protections, NIH data-sharing policy, and other applicable research laws and regulations.

NIH reports on support for Early Stage Investigators

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has highlighted support through R01-equivalent awards in fiscal years (FYs) 2024 and 2025 for Early Stage Investigators (ESIs), who are researchers in the early phase of their careers seeking their first major NIH grants. The report emphasizes the challenges early career researchers face in a competitive funding environment and the importance of sustaining a strong pipeline of new investigators to advance biomedical research and innovation. The report describes efforts to support ESIs, including giving priority to their grant applications, creating fairer peer review processes, and integrating early investigator needs into broader funding strategies. The report also highlights NIH programs that encourage innovative research among new investigators and notes ongoing monitoring of barriers that could affect career progression. For additional context and analysis, see this article in Science: NIH research grant funding rates plummeted in 2025.

ACL launches APS tools database

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) Office of Elder Justice and Adult Protective Services has launched the APS Tools Inventory, a searchable database offering users the ability to search for tools that can be used to screen and assess adult maltreatment, clients’ risk of maltreatment, decisional capabilities, and functional status. The APS Tools Inventory was designed for use by any individuals working in the field of adult maltreatment, including program leadership, supervisors, researchers, and APS field workers who could adopt the screening and assessment tools. Individuals may be interested in using the APS Tool Inventory to:

• Search for existing tools that can support APS programs in enhancing standardized and systematic responses
• Learn details about tools, including how they should be administered, how long it takes to administer them, and whether the tools have been tested and validated
• Avoid duplicating efforts in developing their own tools or forms
• Review the evidence for tools, as well as areas of strength and recommendations for further validation

Analysis suggests long-term benefits of cognitive training on dementia risk 

A new analysis of the NIH-funded Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study found that older adults (65+) who completed a brief course of adaptive speed-of-processing cognitive training—with follow-up booster sessions—had a ~25% lower incidence of dementia up to 20 years later compared with those who received no training. The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, indicated that these long-term benefits were unique to the cognitive training task, as long-term benefits were not found for other training types, including memory and reasoning training.

This evidence adds to earlier findings from the ACTIVE trial that showed cognitive training can improve everyday thinking and reduce dementia incidence at 10 years, and aligns with broader research suggesting that some targeted mental exercises may bolster brain health. In a 2017 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, a committee reviewing the evidence on dementia prevention noted that cognitive training was one of the interventions with promising, though not yet conclusive, evidence for helping delay or mitigate cognitive decline, and recommended further rigorous research to clarify its role in preventing dementia. Although the evidence is strong, the authors note that additional studies are needed to understand underlying mechanisms that may help explain the long-term effects of cognitive training.

New blood test “clock” model can predict onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms 

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed new “clock” models to estimate when a person is likely to begin experiencing Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. The study, published in Nature Medicine, describes models that use a single blood test measuring the protein p-tau217 to predict symptom onset within a margin of three to four years. For now, these prediction “clock” models are expected to help forecast disease progression for research participants, thereby improving clinical trial recruitment and enrollment, and expediting the development of new prevention and treatment strategies. With future refinements, these models may become appropriate for use in a clinical environment, helping providers and patients make decisions on appropriate treatment and care. The study was part of a project developed and launched by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Biomarkers Consortium.

Additional Reads

• A path to preventing cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease: initiatives beginning in the USA (read here)
• Higher-molecular-weight a-synuclein oligomers are increased in the brain cytosol of patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (read here)
• Not If, but When: Plasma P-Tau217 Clock Predicts Age of AD Onset (read here)
• The man who fell in love with the sound of Spitfires – here’s what this unusual symptom can teach us about dementia (read here)
• Structural signature of plasma proteins classifies the status of Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• We May Be Able to Spot Early Dementia Risk With 1 Simple Analysis, Study Says (read here)
• RFK Jr.’s war on vaccines is coming for the elderly (read here)
• When Words Fade: Samuel Valverde on Living With Primary Progressive Aphasia (read here)
• Scientists create the most detailed molecular map to date of the developing Down syndrome brain (read here)
• Superagers’ brains have a ‘resilience signature,’ and it’s all about neuron growth (read here)
• In football players with repeated head impacts, inflammation related to brain changes (read here)
• AI Aids Quantification of Amyloid PET Scans (read here)
• Novel markers of brain blood flow and oxygenation may offer early clues to Alzheimer’s risk (read here)
• Study identifies medical conditions that could predict future Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• The Race to Treat Genetic FTD: New Therapies Target the GRN Mutation (read here)
• Off-label use of antipsychotics common among older adults in Finland (read here)
• How Urinary Tract Infections Can Trigger Delirium and Worsen Dementia (read here)
• Simple, day-to-day tasks may delay Alzheimer’s and dementia, scientists say (read here)
• Alzheimer’s related dementia severity classification from magnetic resonance imaging using derivative-free optimization of convolutional neural network (read here)
• With federal research funding uncertain, states debate new science initiatives (read here)
• Study Examines How Attending an HBCU Can Help Reduce Dementia Risk (read here)
• Scientists Find a Mechanism for How Exercise Protects the Brain (read here)
• HHS OIG Releases New Medicare Advantage Compliance Program Guidance (read here)
• Dementia: how brain resilience, immune health and the menopause play a role in women’s risk (read here)
• New Biomarker on the Block? PPP2R5C Tracks with Tauopathy in AD (read here)
• A Single Blood Test May Predict When Alzheimer’s Symptoms Will Begin (read here)
• Brain organoids can be trained to solve a goal-directed task (read here)
• Houston Methodist research reveals how the eyes may be a window into early Alzheimer’s detection (read here)
• Could a protein hold the key to protecting against Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• Virgin olive oil protects cognitive health through the gut microbiota (read here)
• Expanding the Alzheimer’s Treatment Landscape: A 2026 Forecast (read here)
• Exercise and nutritional drinks can reduce the need for care in dementia (read here)
• The Cells That Never Sleep: How Slumber Lets Neurons Clean Up and Stay Healthy (read here)
• What Is Limbic-Predominant Age-Related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE)? (read here)
• With a Second Pair of A-Eyes, Fewer Cases of ARIA Slip Under the Radar (read here)
• Air pollution may directly contribute to Alzheimer’s disease – new study (read here)
• The good side of a side effect: New Houston Methodist study finds brain swelling during Alzheimer’s treatment may signal strong response (read here)
• Robotic Pets Help Dementia Patients Recover and Return Home (read here)
• Researchers connect the dots between cause-effect events in Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• Alzheimer’s gene boosts seizures, but pathway can be targeted, study finds (read here)
• A crisis in the making: Can America afford the elderly? (read here)
• Investigational Therapy ALZ-801 Shows Clinical Efficacy in MCI Stage of Alzheimer Disease (read here)
• New blood test could improve Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis (read here)
• Characterizing TDP‐43 involvement in vascular dementia (read here)
• Development and validation of the LateDem-Risk score to predict dementia incidence in the InveCe.Ab and Trelong Italian cohorts (read here)
• Alzheimer’s: Researchers Discover an Unexpected Link Between Genetic Risk and Social Life (read here)
• Impact of an exercise and nutrition program on caregiver time with residents in institutional care—A secondary analysis (read here)
• A System Built For Ordinary Times: Why US Vaccine Policy Fails When It Matters Most (read here)
• Medicaid work requirements will particularly hurt unpaid caregivers (read here)
• New Cost-Sharing Requirements In Medicaid: Considerations For State Implementation (read here)
• Senate Questions Health Care Firm for Profiting Off Program Meant for Poor (read here)
• Kidney function may affect Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers (read here)
• UC Irvine-led team creates first cell type-specific gene regulatory maps for Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• Drugs identified that could help prevent delirium after surgery (read here)
• Cumulative lead exposure linked to increased Alzheimer’s and dementia risk, U-M study finds (read here)
• Researchers identify promising Alzheimer’s disease drug target (read here)
• Silencer variants are key drivers of gene up-regulation in Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• Reading and writing can lower dementia risk by almost 40%, study finds (read here)
• Common anti-seizure drug prevents Alzheimer’s plaques from forming (read here)
• Skeleton ‘gatekeeper’ lining brain cells could guard against Alzheimer’s (read here)
• Metabolic clues emerge from new molecular map of Alzheimer’s (read here)
• Long COVID Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease Mechanisms (read here)
• When Inflammation Maims Microglia, Plaques Spread Out and Harm Neurites (read here)
• UK study: ‘Person-centered care’ improves lives of dementia residents, caregivers (read here)
• Cognitive speed training over weeks may delay the diagnosis of dementia over decades (read here)
• Early cognitive stimulation protects brain function in Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• Research review finds ‘disconnect’ in care planning between dementia patients and healthcare teams (read here)
• Can Targeting the Immune System Slow the Progression of Alzheimer’s? (read here)
• The many meanings of Alzheimer’s disease and why they matter for policy, research, and care (read here)
• What Is LATE Dementia? In Older Adults It’s Often Mistaken for Alzheimer’s (read here)
• If you have Alzheimer’s disease, who will take part in your care? (read here)
• New gut-brain discovery offers hope for treating ALS and dementia (read here)
• AI algorithm enables tracking of vital white matter pathways (read here)
• As a scientist and NFL widow, I am furious about a recent NFL Players Association-funded CTE study (read here)
• Developing a structured framework to explore the experiences of people with dementia and their caregivers regarding non‐pharmacological sleep interventions (read here)
• Modeling and application of alzheimer’s disease complex trait prediction based on multi-task learning (read here)
• When to Hire Help for Dementia Care: 6 Benefits and the First Steps (read here)
• Scientists worry finalizing ‘Schedule F’ rule will further politicize NIH grant decisions (read here)
• Community perspectives on epigenetic dementia risk testing: Willingness, implementation preferences, and reasons for not testing in midlife and older adults (read here)
• A Curious Case of Amyloid Scans Going Awry (read here)
• An AI model that can read and diagnose a brain MRI in seconds (read here)
• Former FDA commissioner: HHS leadership is focused on policy-based evidence, not evidence-based policy (read here)
• The rise of astrocytes: are they guardians or troublemakers of the brain disorder? (read here)
• For Dementia Patients, Easy Access to Experts May Help the Most (read here)
• We helped create Medicare Advantage. Here’s how to fix it (read here)
• A ‘major steppingstone’ against Alzheimer’s (read here)
• Researchers find new way to slow memory loss in Alzheimer’s (read here)
• Blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease could reshape research and care (read here)
• UB study shows that key protein can slow aging (read here)
• New research shows improving blood flow to the brain in arteries with plaque did not improve cognitive skills (read here)
• How our lab is helping develop an Alzheimer’s test that can be done at home (read here)
• Storing defective energy: How the aging brain remains efficient (read here)
• Researchers Use Veterans’ Health Records for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease (read here)
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding associated with higher levels of cognitive function for postmenopausal women (read here)
• Study Finds Cannabis Usage in Middle Aged and Older Adults Associated With Larger Brain Volume, Better Cognitive Function (read here)
• High estrogen levels in brain may increase women’s risk of stress-related memory issues (read here)
• Ambien, Melatonin, and More: What We Know — and Don’t — About Sleep Medications and Dementia Risk (read here)
• Biological Age Acceleration Linked to Early Alzheimer Disease Markers (read here)
• The other ‘Alzheimer’s protein’: The quest to prevent toxic tau buildup in the brain (read here)
• Biomarker-integrated prognostic stagings for Alzheimer’s Disease (read here)
• Changes in Gut Microbiome May Be Connected to Alzheimer Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment (read here)
• Clinical trials on dementia: bridging access and innovation (read here)
• Duke study tackles football’s impact on Black men’s brain health (read here)
• AI-driven framework for accurate detection of Alzheimer’s disease in EEG (read here)
• 5 Ways to Talk to a Loved One About Dementia (read here)
• Reading was the key to breaking through the fog of my parents’ dementia (read here)
• NIH Pause on New Submissions to the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry and Request for Information on Reducing Reliance on Human Embryonic Stem Cells in NIH-Supported Research (read here)

January, 2026 News

Senate and House Appropriators Release Agreement on Labor-HHS Funding

As part of a four-bill package, House and Senate appropriations have released the bipartisan fiscal year (FY) 2026 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill (see: accompanying joint explanatory statement). The bill provides $116.8 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an increase of $210 million in discretionary funding over FY 2025. This bipartisan bill rejects the Administration’s proposal to significantly cut public health funding and restructure departments within public health agencies and includes several provisions requiring HHS to consult with the Appropriations Committees prior to taking action (e.g., terminating grants). 

The bill includes: 

• An increase of $100 million to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for AD/ADRD research.
  • This increase reflects $90 million to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and $10 million to the National Institute on Aging (NIA). 
  • The bill also preserves support for facilities and administrative expenses (Sec. 224; often referred to as “indirect costs”) and includes language to limit multiyear funding (Sec. 240). Additionally, the bill maintains funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) at the FY 2025 total of $1.5 billion. 
  • Additionally, the bill includes at least $100 million for the NIH INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE (INCLUDE) Initiative, an increase of $10 million to a program that supports a range of research activities, including Down-Syndrome associated Alzheimer’s disease.
• A total of $41.5 million for Alzheimer’s disease programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an increase of $2 million over the FY2025 level. The bill eliminates funding for CDC’s social determinants of health programs.
  • With regard to staffing and restructuring of CDC, the bill requires the HHS Secretary to submit a detailed plan and justification to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees prior to initiating the execution of any reorganization, moving functions carried out by the CDC to another component of HHS.
• A total of $31.5 million for Alzheimer’s disease demonstration projects at the Administration for Community Living (ACL), reflecting level funding from FY2025.
• A total of $48.245 million for geriatrics workforce programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), reflecting level funding from FY2025. 

This bill also extends Medicare coverage of telehealth services for two years. The explanatory statement calls for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to support timely beneficiary access to early cognitive screening and diagnostic tools for AD/ADRD. 

The House passed a bundle of six full-year spending bills on Thursday, January 22. Though the Senate was expected to pass the bundle as is, the Senate ultimately amended the bundled package, to include five full-year appropriations bills and one two-week stop gap bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Senate passed the amended package on January 30 by a vote of 71-29 and sent it to the House for a final vote.

As both chambers did not vote to pass the same legislative package before the expiration of the Continuing Resolution (CR), the government entered into a partial shutdown at 12:01am on January 31. The House is expected to return from recess and vote on the altered package as soon as Monday, February 2, and the President is expected to sign it into law shortly thereafter. Please watch this space for additional details and updates as they become available. 

LEAD Coalition and SWHR Statement on the FDA’s Revised Draft Guidance on the Study of Sex Differences in the Clinical Evaluation of Medical Products 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published revised draft guidance on the Study of Sex Differences in the Clinical Evaluation of Medical Products (FDA-2024-D-4245). The guidance provides recommendations for increasing enrollment of female participants in clinical trials and non-interventional studies to help ensure the generalizability of results; analyzing and interpreting sex-specific data; and, including sex-specific information in regulatory submissions of medical products. Revisions follow an early 2025 public comment period, to which the LEAD Coalition and the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) submitted a jointly-led sign-on letter commending the FDA for its ongoing commitment to the study of sex differences and encouraging consideration of the specific relevance for women at risk for or living with Alzheimer’s disease and related causes of dementia. 

Unfortunately, the revised draft guidance falls short of addressing comments submitted by the LEAD Coalition and SWHR. Instead, the FDA draft guidance appears to have been revised primarily to remove gender-related terminology, with limited indication that the revisions were informed by public comments or developments in scientific literature. The LEAD Coalition and SWHR stand by comments outlined in their 2025 letter, including the importance of understanding the impact gender roles may have on the increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related causes of dementia and maintain that FDA must take these factors into account within the draft guidance.

The LEAD Coalition and SWHR remain eager to work together with the FDA to deepen understanding of sex differences in the clinical evaluation of medical products and to ensure that future research and resulting medical products and services are more inclusive, effective, and tailored to the needs of all individuals, including those at risk for and living with Alzheimer’s disease and related causes of dementia. LEAD and SWHR also look forward to additional comment periods to elevate this essential element of scientific rigor. 

HHS releases report on hospice use patterns among Medicare enrollees living with AD/ADRD 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a report on  “Medicare Hospice Use Patterns Among Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease or Related Dementias Compared to Those With Other Terminal Diagnoses.” The report details the results of a study that examined Medicare Fee-for-Service claims between 2016 and 2019 to better understand hospice utilization patterns among people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) as compared to individuals who have other terminal diagnoses. The analysis found that AD/ADRD was the third most common primary hospice diagnosis and frequently appeared as a secondary diagnosis In both cases, AD/ADRD was associated with longer hospice stays, more routine home care visits, fewer days of general inpatient care, and more visits by home health aides (HHAs). These patterns varied by hospice type. For-profit and newer hospices were linked to longer lengths of hospice stay, more routine home care, and more HHA visits. Non-profit, older, and rural hospices provided more daily visits by registered nurses. These findings suggest that people with AD/ADRD experience a distinct hospice trajectory and highlight the need to consider more tailored approaches to meet the needs of this population and their care partners.

Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Navigation Roundtable publishes business case white paper 

The Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Navigation Roundtable (DCNR) has published a white paper offering guidance to help health care organizations build, improve, and expand dementia care programs. The paper, “Building a Business Case for a Dementia Care Program,” is designed to aid health systems transitioning from traditional fee-for-service payment models to value-based care. It is accompanied by a Dementia Care Financial Modeling tool to help organizations assess costs and feasibility when planning dementia programs. The tool allows teams to adapt the white paper principles to their goals, resources and context, enabling teams to make informed business cases to leadership.

The white paper includes five sequential modules detailing key components for building a business case:

• Analyzing Current State — Assessing the existing dementia care landscape
• Identifying and Understanding Key Value Metrics — Defining primary sources of financial value
• Reviewing Care Model Types — Choosing the right dementia care model
• Creating a Credible Program Analysis — Building a “Program Scorecard” to track metrics
• Dementia Care Financial Model — Applying modules 1-4 to generate financial data

The Alzheimer’s Association will host a one-hour webinar on February 13 to demonstrate how health care organizations can use the free Dementia Care Financial Modeling tool to build and improve dementia care programs. Interested organizations can register here. Health care organizations can request the modeling tool by contacting dementiacarenavigation@alz.org.

CMS issues final rule for Home Health Prospective Payment System

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule announcing policy changes to the Home Health (HH) Prospective Payment System (PPS) (CMS-1828-F). CMS estimates that Medicare payments to home health agencies in 2026 will decrease by an estimated 1.3% (or $220 million) compared to 2025, based on the finalized policies. CMS is finalizing a change to the face-to-face regulation to allow physicians, in addition to NPs, CNSs, and PAs, to perform the face-to-face encounter. Additionally, CMS is removing items from the HH Quality Reporting Program, including the COVID-19 Vaccine: Percentage of Patients Who Are Up to Date Measure and the corresponding Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) data element beginning in 2026. CMS is also removing four assessment items in the standardized patient assessment: one Living Situation item, two Food items, and one Utilities item. Other changes include Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, & Supplies (DMEPOS) Accreditation updates and a prior authorization exemption process for DMEPOS suppliers meeting a specific claim approval rate. For additional details, see the CMS overview.

New report presents recommendations for clinical use of digital cognitive assessments

A recent report “Acceptable standards for clinic-based digital cognitive assessments: Recommendations from the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease” presents expert consensus recommendations on how digital cognitive assessments (DCAs) should be designed, evaluated, and used in clinical settings. The paper, developed by a group of diverse stakeholders convened by the Global CEO Initiative (CEOi) and inclusive of leaders across academia, clinical care, industry, and patient advocacy, offers guidance by outlining target characteristics of DCAs for three clinical contexts: (1) initial detection of cognitive impairment, (2) diagnostic support for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, and (3) characterization of cognitive profiles to support identifying etiology. These recommendations are expected to assist test developers, health care providers, health system decision-makers, and regulators in ensuring that DCAs meet or exceed the performance of non-digital tools, and  aid earlier detection of cognitive impairment, improve diagnostic accuracy, and facilitate timely intervention and support for individuals living with MCI or dementia.

New report outlines recommended actions to enhance Alzheimer’s diagnosis and improve care coordination

The Alzheimer’s Policy Working Group, a group of engaged clinicians from specialty and primary care working together to craft practical solutions that improve the lives of individuals living with dementia and their care partners, has released a new report entitled “Solving America’s Alzheimer’s Challenge.” The report outlines recommended actions for primary providers, health care systems, government agencies, medical societies, and other relevant stakeholders to enhance early diagnosis and improve care coordination. These include: 

1.  At the first signs of cognitive impairment, primary care providers should encourage lifestyle changes and discuss interventions that can preserve and even improve cognitive function.
2.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and American Medical Association should adopt billing codes that enable timely diagnosis of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease in primary care settings.
3.  Healthcare systems should establish brain health programs that empower administrators with knowledge of the total revenue associated with Alzheimer’s care.
4.  Leading medical societies should create a certification that can enable nurse practitioners and physician assistants to obtain the training needed to diagnose Alzheimer’s and manage patients at all stages of the disease.

The report also summarizes the outcomes of existing models of care that could be scaled to support more timely diagnosis and care for all.

LEAD Coalition welcomes new member organizations

The LEAD Coalition recently welcomed West Health and CureGRN as its newest member organizations.

Solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health is a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations that include the Gary and Mary West Foundation and Gary and Mary West Health Institute in San Diego and the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center in Washington, D.C. West Health is dedicated to lowering healthcare costs to enable seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality and affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence. 

CureGRN is dedicated to raising awareness, fostering global collaboration, and driving research to find effective treatments and prevention strategies for frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) caused by the progranulin gene mutation. Together, we stand with families affected by GRN-FTD, working toward a future where this devastating condition is understood and defeated. 

USAging publishes 2025 National AAA Survey Chartbook

USAging has released the 2025 National AAA Survey Chartbook. The new data underscores the important role Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) play and how they are adapting to meet the increasingly complex needs of a growing older adult population. Key findings include:

• Growing waitlists: Seventy-one percent of AAAs report waitlists for OAA services, with home-delivered meals, homemaker services and personal care among the most requested.
• Support for caregivers: Nearly all AAAs (99 percent) serve caregivers of older adults, and most also assist older caregivers raising relative children (95 percent) and caregivers of adults with disabilities (94 percent). However, 25 percent rely exclusively on OAA funding for these services, limiting their ability to meet demand.
• Expanding services: AAAs are addressing critical community needs beyond core services, including social isolation (95 percent), housing supports (88 percent) and behavioral health (31 percent).
• Housing challenges: Ninety-four percent of AAAs identify lack of affordable housing for older adults as a top challenge. Significant unmet needs persist for innovative housing solutions (71 percent), grand family housing (60 percent) and homelessness prevention programs (59 percent).

KFF issue brief examines Medicaid HCBS

KFF has released an issue brief exploring how states provide Medicaid home care and what services are included in states’ Medicaid home care waivers. This brief was developed using data from the 23^rd KFF survey of officials administering Medicaid home care programs. Medicaid home care can be offered through either the Medicaid state plan or as part of a specialized waiver. All states offer Medicaid home care through waivers, most commonly 1915(c) waivers (47 states). States also offer Medicaid home care services through 1115 waivers (15 states), personal care offered as a state plan benefit (33 states), or the Community First Choice option (10 states). Most states provide Medicaid home care through waivers that offer benefits specifically targeted to people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (48) and people ages 65 and older who have physical disabilities (46). For such waivers, most states offer multiple waivers for each population. Waivers’ coverage of different home care services, such as day services, supported employment, and home-based services, varies by the population served.

Additional Reads

• New rule would force PBMs to disclose drug rebates and other fees (read here)
• Common Bacteria Discovered in the Eye Linked to Cognitive Decline (read here)
• My Husband With Dementia Yells at Me. I’m Tired of It (read here)
• For Some Americans, the End of Obamacare Subsidies Means Falling Off a Financial Cliff (read here)
• This Cellular Hazmat Team Cleans Up Tau. Can It Prevent Dementia? (read here)
• Treatment Data Projects Benefit in Early-Onset Alzheimer’s (read here)
• Protein buildup in brain blood vessels linked with increased 5-year risk of dementia (read here)
• 14 Lifestyle Changes That Help Prevent or Delay Dementia (read here)
• JH AITC awards more than $1M for projects supporting seniors, caregivers (read here)
• NIH-funded study clearly ties risk of dementia to severe CTE (read here)
• Project seeks to develop retinal screening for Alzheimer’s  (read here)
• What I Wish I Knew: Massive Acceptance and Radical Presence Changed My Caregiving Journey (read here)
• Man with dementia forgot he’s been married 39 years. He proposed again. (read here)
• Changes in circadian rhythms linked to higher dementia risk (read here)
• Loneliness plays significant role in Alzheimer’s; doctors’ EHR notes may hold clues in early diagnosis: studies (read here)
• Why Alzheimer’s Patients Lose New Memories First (read here)
• Terry Pratchett’s novels may have held clues to his dementia a decade before diagnosis, our new study suggests (read here)
• In a one-act play, a man chronicles his own dementia (read here)
• Tau Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Uniquely Affects Sulcal Depths (read here)
• Inside a Dutch ‘dementia village,’ where the whole neighborhood is designed for memory loss (read here)
• Without ApoE3 or ApoE4, Alzheimer’s Would be a Rare Disease (read here)
• Helping people with dementia have a say in their medical care (read here)
• Current Federal Budget and Appropriations for Aging Services Programs (read here)
• Unfilled vacancies have depleted NIH advisory councils, key players in grant approvals (read here)
• Why people with dementia wander – and how families can keep them safe (read here)
• People with obesity may have a higher risk of dementia (read here)
• Study Finds Alzheimer’s Disease Can Be Evaluated with Brain Stimulation (read here)
• New Research Suggests Gut Bacteria May Be Linked to Memory Decline in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease (read here)
• Microglia Lookalikes Deliver Progranulin in Mouse Lentivirus Gene Therapy (read here)
• 7 surprisingly hopeful things we’ve learned about dementia (read here)
• ‘Living With Alzheimer’s, Not Dying From It’: Luke Davis on Life After Diagnosis (read here)
• Not all memories are created equal: Study by NUS and Duke shows how motivation shapes our memory (read here)
• New Study Links Altered Cellular States to Brain Structure (read here)
• A new atlas could help guide researchers studying neurological disease (read here)
• Ending dementia stigma could change its trajectory: Cancer’s history shows why (read here)
• Genetic contributions to Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia in admixed Latin American populations (read here)
• From Anxiety, Depression to Major Neurocognitive Disorders: Exploring Their Association With the Risk Factors for Dementia (read here)
• Where Artificial Intelligence Is Already Delivering in Alzheimer’s Disease (read here)
• Promising target for Alzheimer’s-linked brain inflammation found (read here)
• Amyloid-β fibrils accumulated in preeclamptic placentas suppress cytotrophoblast syncytialization (read here)
• Not all sitting is the same when it comes to brain health (read here)
• Researchers Study Whether Intentionally Manipulating Blood Carbon Dioxide Levels Might Enhance Brain Health (read here)
• Scientists test whether a finger prick blood test could be used to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms begin (read here)
• Study: Shingles Vaccine Linked to Slower Biological Aging in Older Adults (read here)
• Research with fruit flies could unlock riddle of neurodegenerative disorders (read here)
• Vaccine trial review finds that future vaccine trials must include care home residents (read here)
• Study finds early measure of overall health may predict future memory problems in older adults (read here)
• VO2 max: What the gold standard metric for fitness means for longevity (read here)
• Experts Warn These Early Dementia Signs Often Get Missed — But Early Detection Makes A Big Difference (read here)
• Limit on multiyear funding of NIH grants is a sticking point in Senate budget talks (read here)
• The Nottingham consensus on dementia risk reduction policy: recommendations from a modified Delphi process (read here)
• Study finds so-called super agers tend to have at least two key genetic advantages (read here)
• Experts provide policy roadmap to reduce dementia risk, the leading cause of death in the UK (read here)
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• A First: Gauging Alzheimer’s Prevalence from Blood Test (read here)
• Why more seniors are being asked to care for their partners — alone (read here)
• Scientists Reveal How Ketogenic Diet Protects Against Seizures When Drugs Fail (read here)
• Alzheimer’s Drug Demonstrates Efficacy Against Sickle Cell Anemia (read here)
• Researchers explore genetic roots, new diagnostic tools for early-onset dementia (read here)
• Unlocking the Brain’s Regenerative Potential to Fight Alzheimer’s (read here)
• Kaiser Permanente to pay $556M to settle Medicare Advantage fraud claims (read here)
• Simple tool predicts who is most at risk of dementia after stroke (read here)
• Blood sugar spikes linked to higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• Exploring the complex relationship between oral health and dementia (read here)
• Huntington’s disease: treatments are finally on the horizon after research breakthroughs (read here)
• Personalized prevention strategies may lower Alzheimer’s risk by targeting individual factors (read here)
• New European initiative seeks to accelerate timely Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment (read here)
• Pazdur warns that politics, ‘chaos’ are damaging FDA (read here)
• Early prediction of Alzheimer’s disease using longitudinal electronic health records of US military veterans (read here)
• One in four older Americans with dementia prescribed risky brain-altering drugs despite safety warnings (read here)
• Diagnosing Vascular Dementia: How Doctors Identify Blood Vessel Damage (read here)
• Nanoparticles in Alzheimer’s disease: a new frontier in diagnosis and therapy (read here)
• Study: Increased Levels of Protein Linked to Alzheimer’s Found in Some with Long COVID (read here)
• ‘Rare in this world’: Memory cafes provide community for Alzheimer’s patients, caregivers (read here)
• Q&A: Can a routine shingles shot lower your risk of dementia? (read here)
• “The NIH has lost its scientific integrity. So we left.” (read here)
• Oral Anticoagulants Do Not Raise ARIA Risk of Anti-Amyloid Alzheimer Therapies, Study Shows (read here)
• In Alzheimer’s, an Immune Boost Quiets Plasma Markers (read here)
• Most Alzheimer’s cases linked to variants in a single gene (read here)
• Understanding sex-based differences and the role of bone morphogenetic protein signaling in Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• New Mega-Analysis Reveals Why Memory Declines With Age (read here)
• Parkinson’s disease-specific α-Synuclein variants potentially drive Lewy body formation by engaging in promiscuous and non-functional interactions (read here)
• Alzheimer’s: Better Understanding a Key Receptor to Stop Early Symptoms (read here)
• The Past Is Prologue: Three Insights from 2025 That Will Impact 2026 (read here)
• Wyden, Warren expand UnitedHealth nursing home investigation (read here)
• Preserved muscle function as a protective factor against cognitive decline: Longitudinal results from the FINGER study (read here)
• Anticoagulation to prevent ischemic stroke and neurocognitive impairment in atrial fibrillation: the BRAIN-AF randomized clinical trial (read here)
• 8 things to do this year to lower dementia risk and protect your brain (read here)
• Man who died with dementia aged 24 leaves brain to science (read here)
• Researchers Raise Concerns about Faster Aging, Possible Early-Onset Dementia, for Children and Young Adult Cancer Survivors (read here)
• An autonomous agentic workflow for clinical detection of cognitive concerns using large language models (read here)
• Mapping gene disruptions in sporadic early onset Alzheimer’s disease across key brain regions (read here)
• UMass Chan study highlights effect of Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia on subcortical brain structures (read here)
• 40-Hz Auditory Stimulation Shows Long-Term Efficacy in Aged Monkeys, Offering Potential for Non-Invasive Alzheimer’s Therapy (read here)
• I oversaw the development of the ‘hospital at home’ CMS waiver. Congress must update the program (read here)
• Do Artificial Sweeteners Affect Brain Health? What New Research Suggests (read here)
• Music and Caregiving: Hitting the Right Notes (read here)
• Relationships between heritable dementia risk factors, cardiovascular risk factors in young adulthood, and midlife neuropsychological outcomes (read here)
• Utility of the Swedish Anticholinergic Burden Scale in a memory clinic setting: a comparison with the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden scale (read here)
• Federal appeals court upholds ruling blocking NIH cap on research overhead payments (read here)
• Finger-prick blood test breakthrough in worldwide Alzheimer’s research (read here)
• Remote Alzheimer’s testing: At-home blood tests can accurately detect key biomarkers (read here)
• Diabetes increases the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease (read here)
• When It’s Not Alzheimer’s: Neurologist Dr. Gregory Jicha on Misdiagnosis (read here)
• Reversing Alzheimer’s? (read here)
• Public health data should be as available as the weather forecast (read here)
• Medications may help the aging brain cope with surgery and memory impairment (read here)
• Spatial patterns of tau accumulation across the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum (read here)
• Assessing the ECHO® model’s role in strengthening health department responses to dementia risk (read here)
• Did I Try Hard Enough to Understand My Mother? (read here)
• Vaccines Are Helping Older People More Than We Knew (read here)
• Study: Community-dwelling older adults with dementia more likely to be bed-bound in final year of life (read here)
• Dementia has stolen my mother’s dignity. But it’s also freed her of a lifetime of emotional wounds. (read here)
• Brain organoids are helping researchers, but their use also creates unease (read here)
• Seeing Dementia in a New Light (read here)
• Protein disposal system may accelerate Alzheimer’s by transferring toxins between brain cells (read here)

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