Washington can no longer delay Alzheimer's funding

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Linda Mitchell

Published December 13, 2007 at noon
Updated December 13, 2007 at 11:51 a.m.

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NOW-not later - is the time for the government to meet its responsibility to help the as many as 5 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

NOW-not later-is the time to find ways to protect the lives of 78 million baby boomers whose lives will soon be at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

The only way to stop this killer is by investing in more research-NOW.

Alzheimer’s disease causes enormous suffering for patients and places tremendous financial and emotional burdens on families. But stopping Alzheimer’s disease isn’t just good social policy-it’s sound economic policy as well.

This year, Alzheimer’s disease is costing Medicare $91 billion and Medicaid $21 billion. By 2015, the two programs will be spending $210 billion just on people with Alzheimer’s disease. The nation cannot afford to wait.

President Bush and Congress must take action NOW to stop this disease that today has no cure or effective treatment.

Earlier this year, Congress passed a bipartisan Labor-HHS-Education appropriation bill (HR 3043) that allocated $30 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) - reversing years of erosion in the nation’s research investment. Included in that total was a modest $16 million increase for research on Alzheimer’s disease-the first increase in three years for this deadly disease. Unfortunately, this legislation was vetoed.

Congress is now working with the President on a compromise to fund health, education and other programs. There should be no compromise on our nation’s commitment to medical research. If funding falls below the $30 billion originally allocated by Congress, medical breakthroughs to end Alzheimer’s will be threatened and more lives with be lost.

The President and Congress must finish the job they were elected to do.

Appropriate $30 billion for NIH to step up the fight against Alzheimer’s disease - NOW.

Linda Mitchell is president and CEO, Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado.

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