The omnibus appropriations bill includes:
• $100 million increase for the National Institute on Aging for Alzheimer's research,
• $30 million for the National Institutes of Health's BRAIN Initiative,
• $3.3 million, an increase of $1.5 million, to support caregivers for Alzheimer's patients,
• $4 million to train health professionals on issues related to Alzheimer's disease,
• $10.5 million to expand the home and community based caregiver services, and
• $4.2 million for outreach activities to raise awareness.
"This additional funding is great news and an initial step toward the goal of doubling the funding for Alzheimer's research and eventually, over five years, achieving the level of $2 billion recommended by the Alzheimer's Advisory Council," Senator Collins said. "We must continue our efforts in 2015 to do more for Alzheimer's research and treatment given the tremendous human and economic price of this devastating disease."
At a time when the cost of caring for Alzheimer's patients is $203 billion per year, which includes $142 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid, the U.S is currently spending slightly more than $500 million total on Alzheimer's research annually.
Senator Collins has introduced a bipartisan resolution declaring the treatment of Alzheimer's disease an "urgent national priority" with the goal of effective treatment by 2025. The resolution calls on Congress to double the amount of funding invested in Alzheimer's research in 2015 and to develop a plan to meet a target of $2 billion a year over the next five years.
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