House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee Tells CMS: Fix Alzheimer’s Drug Coverage
WASHINGTON, DC (April 27, 2023) – The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation®(GAP) President John Dwyer commends the strong, bipartisan leadership shown yesterday by U.S. Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) for admonishing the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure about the lack of coverage for groundbreaking drugs to help treat Alzheimer’s. The subcommittee highlighted the fact that the Veterans Administration (VA) has approved the use of one of these drugs for veterans while CMS has not.
In a hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held yesterday, Rep. Eshoo highlighted how the disparity in coverage has affected two of her constituents. One is a grandfather and a veteran with Alzheimer’s – he can get coverage from the VA. His wife also has Alzheimer’s and is not a veteran – she can’t get coverage. Eshoo said: “How do any of us explain that to our constituents?” She said there is “…a disconnect between the VA, FDA and CMS…” that needs to be addressed immediately.
“The subcommittee gets it. CMS has failed Medicare patients with Alzheimer’s,” Dwyer said. “We thank the committee for continuing to press CMS for an equitable fix so those with Alzheimer’s have hope. We also thank the other Members of Congress who continue to advocate for the health of 1.2 million Americans who, because of CMS’s discriminatory policies, leave them without access to approved treatments.”
Chair Guthrie said: “I’ve heard both sides of the aisle talk about the access to this drug for Alzheimer’s patients and we’re all concerned about it.”
—END—
For immediate release:
Contact: media@globalalzplatform.org
About the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP)
The nonprofit Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® was founded to speed the delivery of Alzheimer’s treatments with a commitment to promoting diversity in clinical research, as well as lowering the cost and duration of clinical trials to ensure that no one is left behind. As part of its mission, GAP supports more than 100 clinical research sites worldwide through study start up and recruitment activities, promoting diversity in research studies, and giving attention to the citizen scientists who make research possible.