Support access to Alzheimer’s treatment
Breanna Cowan, Minot
More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia– and 15,000 live in North Dakota alone. Like many Americans, this devastating disease has touched my family multiple times, including taking the life of my grandmother, Clarice. My daughter shares her name even though Alzheimer’s stole my grandmother from us long before they could meet.
Last month, I traveled from Minot to Washington, D.C. with the Alzheimer’s Association and other advocates across the country. We came together to address the unprecedented decision made by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to deny coverage for the new FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatments.
Every day without access to these treatments, more than 2,000 people transition to a more advanced stage of Alzheimer’s and are no longer eligible for them. People need access now to give them more time to live full lives with their families.
While on Capitol Hill, I urged Representative Armstrong to show CMS his support for full access to FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatments. I also thanked Senators Hoeven and Cramer for signing a letter to CMS showing their support.
I appreciate the congressional members for meeting with us about these important issues that affect North Dakotans, and continue to request that Representative Armstrong call upon CMS to cover all FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatments. To learn how you can join the fight to increase treatment access for people living with Alzheimer’s, visit alzimpact.org.