Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Introduce Assessment, Diagnosis of Alzheimer's

Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) on Thursday introduced the bipartisan Concentrating on High-Value Alzheimer's Needs to Get to an End (CHANGE) Act, a bill encouraging early assessment and diagnosis of Alzheimer's to relieve the burden on caregivers and expedite progress to disease-modifying treatments. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) are original co-sponsors of the bill, and Reps. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) and Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) have proposed companion legislation in the House. "Our bill helps encourage early diagnosis, relieves the burden on caregivers, and improves care for care recipients," Stabenow said. "We have strong partners in the fight against Alzheimer's in the House and Senate and I will continue working across the aisle to move this bill forward." The CHANGE Act mandates that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services identify a uniform, reliable cognitive impairment detection tool or set of tools to incentivize clinicians to detect, refer, and diagnose Alzheimer's and related dementias in their earliest stages. It also establishes a coverage and payment model to offer family caregivers evidence-based training and certification specific to dementia care. In addition, the bill tests a comprehensive continuum of care via Medicaid modeled after the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. "By taking the lead to introduce the CHANGE Act, Senator Capito continues to be a champion for the millions of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers here in West Virginia and across the country," said Women Against Alzheimer's co-founder Helen Matheny.