WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D- Nev.) joined a bipartisan group of senators in calling on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to establish an ambitious national plan to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
The senators wrote, “Alzheimer’s disease is a public health crisis that is expanding, with a projected increase to nearly 14 million people in the U.S. with the disease by 2050,” and that, “a significant percentage of dementia could be delayed – and in some cases prevented – by early intervention.”
In urging HHS to prioritize this issue, Senator Cortez Masto and the group noted they are, “confident that a clear goal and strategic investments in health equity will benefit families, society, our economy, and the nation.”
Senator Cortez Masto joined U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).
Funding Alzheimer’s research and providing support for those experiencing it has been a significant health care focus for Senator Cortez Masto. In 2018, she secured passage of her bipartisan BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act to reduce risk, detect early symptoms, advance care, improve data, and ultimately change the trajectory of this devastating disease. Cortez Masto’s bill delivers $20 million annually to help state, local and tribal public health departments implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions. Funding under that legislation has recently gone directly to the state of Nevada. The Senator also supports the bipartisan Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer’s Act to help the 95% of individuals with dementia that have one or more other chronic conditions, such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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