Dear Editor,

Alzheimer’s disease affects over 6 million people in the U.S. with 70,000 in Colorado and costs nearly $350 billion a year with almost 70% paid by Medicare/ Medicaid. Current activity to help them and their caregivers is to have members of Congress join the bipartisan Task Force on Alzheimer’s disease. This Task Force has been active since 1999 and helps to secure research funding and increases awareness of the disease to Congress. The good news is that there is no additional cost for this activity.

A second important activity of the Alzheimer’s Association is to work with Congress to have members sign on to the letter to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) urging for full access to FDA approved Alzheimer’s treatments. On January 6, 2023, the FDA approved a new drug (Leqembi- a new monoclonal antibody directed against amyloid). There are more of these type treatments in the pipeline. However, CMS has put severe restrictions on the use of these type drugs. This is the first time that Medicare will not cover an FDA-approved treatment. This is very disappointing and unfair to those needing hope.

Please ask your Congressional representatives to sign onto the letter to CMS urging FDA approved treatments full access to those treatments. For more information access alzimpact.org.

Dan Thomas

Nederland