Bill to Improve Assessment, Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease Introduced

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by: Linda Sanchez (D-CA, 38th)

Washington, D.C. - April 18, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Representatives Linda Sánchez (D-CA) and Darin LaHood (R-IL), members of the Ways and Means Committee, along with Energy and Commerce Committee members Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, have introduced H.R. 2283 — Concentrating on High-Value Alzheimer’s Needs to Get to an End (CHANGE) Act to encourage early assessment and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. With as many as 16 million Americans expected to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s by 2050, the legislation seeks to aide caregivers and accelerate progress to disease modifying treatments.

Companion legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Roger Wicker (R-MS.), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ).

“Millions of American families, including my own, know all too well the devastating toll that Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias can take. Too often, patients don’t get a timely diagnosis, if they ever get one at all. Family caregivers do their best to provide the support and care their loved ones need, at great personal expense,” said Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez. “I am proud to work with my colleagues to introduce this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to promote and streamline early assessment and diagnosis. The CHANGE Act provides critical support to patients and their family caregivers. With millions more Americans, including and particularly people of color, expected to be diagnosed in the coming decades, we can’t afford to wait.”

“Alzheimer’s Disease affects millions of Americans each day and the search for a cure must be relentless, which is why I am proud to introduce this bipartisan, bicameral bill to build upon existing tools for early detection, support physicians, families, and caregivers, gather data on how to improve federal efforts in Alzheimer’s research, and outline additional ways we provide care and treatment to those battling this disease,” stated Congressman Darin LaHood. “As a strong advocate for the fight to find a cure to Alzheimer’s, I will continue to support legislation that will help end this cruel disease for good.”

“Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease and millions are or will suffer from this heartbreaking illness,” said Congresswoman Doris Matsui. “We need to do more to encourage early diagnosis while helping to relieve the burden placed on caregivers and family members. This bipartisan, bicameral bill is a critical first step to providing people with Alzheimer’s the care and treatment they need and deserve.”

“Alzheimer’s impacts families all throughout Eastern Washington. This heartbreaking disease not only presents a health crisis in America, but also an economic one. Almost everyone knows someone with or caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s,” Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers said. “They need our support, more research for early detection and diagnosis, and better resources for care. The CHANGE Act will help by encouraging early assessment and diagnoses and accelerating development of life-changing treatments. One day we will find a cure, but until then, it’s critical that we move forward with legislation like this to help patients by improving diagnosis and treatments.”

“I thank this bipartisan group of legislators for their commitment and leadership to accelerating a cure for Alzheimer’s and providing relief to the 5.8 million Americans currently battling this terrible disease and their families, caregivers, and friends,” said George Vradenburg, chairman of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. “We look forward to working with these legislators and their colleagues to advance the CHANGE Act through Congress and into law.”

Alzheimer’s is the only disease among the top 10 causes of death in the United States without an effective means of prevention, treatment, or cure. The CHANGE Act supports, incentivizes, and authorizes high-value Alzheimer’s patient care, caregiver support, and research initiatives to improve prevention and treatment and move toward a cure for the disease.

Specifically, the CHANGE Act:

Requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to identify a uniform, reliable cognitive impairment detection tool or set of tools that will incentivize clinicians to detect, refer, and diagnose Alzheimer’s and related dementias in their earliest stages.

Establishes payment measures to incentivize the detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or related dementias and discussion of appropriate care planning services, including potential for clinical trial participation.

More information on the bill is available here.

Legislative text is available here.

Congressman Blumenauer Introduces Bill to Bolster Alzheimer’s Care Planning

by: Earl Blumenauer (D-OR, 3rd)

Washington, D.C. - March 28, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), co-chair of the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus, along with several members of Congress, has introduced H.R. 1873, the Improving HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act. This bipartisan legislation that would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to inform healthcare providers about care planning benefits available through Medicare. The bill would also require HHS to identify other barriers individuals may be facing in accessing care planning.

“Alzheimer’s is the signature disease of boomers, and it’s a disease that touches everybody,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer. “Prevention, early intervention, and care planning with health care providers are key to cutting in half the suffering, the cost, and the trauma that individuals and their families go through every day. The Improving HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act will result in better treatment outcomes and help families to better face the challenges that an Alzheimer’s diagnosis brings.”

Congressman Blumenauer was one of the lead Democrats on the HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act in the 114th Congress, a law that improves Medicare coverage by creating a benefit for comprehensive care planning services following a dementia diagnosis. Unfortunately, many health care providers remain unaware that this benefit is available. As a result, many eligible Medicare beneficiaries are not receiving the assistance that a comprehensive care planning visit can provide. This legislation will increase access to this vital benefit by ensuring more providers are informed and ready to offer it.

LGBT Discrimination, Privacy, Article V of the Constitution, Alzheimer's

Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY, 18th) amendment to prevent federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT employees passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 223-195. The Maloney amendment was introduced to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2017, and would specifically prevent contractors paid by funds allocated for energy and water projects from discriminating against employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Maloney is accusing House Republican Leadership of violating their own rules to strong-arm seven republicans into switching their votes to vote against Maloney’s amendment, yet the Maloney amendment passed with 43 Republican votes.

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11 states, including Wisconsin, filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration’s directive for more inclusive bathrooms for transgender students.

Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI, 4th) calls the lawsuit "yet another frivolous and politically motivated lawsuit against the Obama administration."

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Congressman Tom Marino (R-PA) and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) introduced the bipartisan and bicameral International Communications Privacy Act (ICPA). Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Chris Coons (D- DE) and Dean Heller (R-NV) introduced identical legislation in the Senate. Reps. Marino and DelBene introduced similar legislation last year, H.R. 1174, the Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad Act (LEADS Act), which also focused on addressing the conflict between cross border data flows and law enforcement requests for electronic communications.

The International Communications Privacy Act provides a common sense solution to the complicated questions surrounding international data storage and lawful government access to that data. ICPA will modernize the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), based on the recognition that today’s technology is global and our laws must reflect that reality. This bill will modernize our laws to establish a rule of law on lawful access to data in the global environment.

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On Wednesday evening, Congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC, 11th) bill, H.R. 5233, the Clarifying Congressional Intent in Providing for D.C. Home Rule Act of 2016, passed the House of Representatives.

The bill would repeal the District of Columbia’s "Local Budget Autonomy Amendment Act," passed in 2012 by the D.C. city council, and reaffirm Congress’ authority in D.C. budgetary matters as established under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

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Congressman Luke Messer (IN-06) introduced bipartisan legislation, the Article V Records Transparency Act (H.R. 5306), to ensure states are able to exercise their authority under Article V of the Constitution by restructuring the recordkeeping process of Article V applications.

Article V of the Constitution provides two methods to amend our founding document. The first method allows Congress to propose amendments to the states for ratification if two-thirds of both Chambers agree upon a proposed amendment. The second method, known as the convention method, requires Congress to call a convention to consider amendments if two-thirds of the states submit applications requesting such a convention.

Since the founding of our country, states have submitted hundreds of convention applications on a variety of topics. Unfortunately, the federal government has never kept track of these applications. And subsequently, not even the National Archives—the chief record keeping agency of the federal government—knows how many applications actually exist.

H.R. 5306 requires the National Archives to find every state application and rescission within two years and transmit them to Congress. The bill then requires the Chairs of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees to post these applications and rescissions on a public website, which would serve as the official database for all Article V records.

The Article V Records Transparency Act is being heralded as a vital piece of legislation by numerous stakeholders, including the Jeffersonian Project, the American Legislative Exchange Council’s 501(c)(4) affiliate, the Friends of the Article V Convention, Assembly of State Legislatures (ASL), the Compact for America, the Madison Coalition, the Compact for a Balanced Budget, and constitutional scholars Prof. Rob Natelson (University of Montana) and Prof. Larry Lessig (Harvard).

H.R. 5306 is also being supported by broad coalition of legislators, including democrat Members Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL); the House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA); the Judiciary Subcommittee Chair on the Constitution and Civil Justice Trent Franks (R-AZ); the Rules Subcommittee Chair on the Rules and Organization of the House Steve Stivers (R-OH); Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL); and Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX).

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U.S. Representative Patrick E. Murphy (FL-18), a member of the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease and the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus, introduced the Alzheimer's Breakthrough Sunshine Act. The bill promotes the development of a much-needed breakthrough in treatment of Alzheimer's disease by providing a tax exclusion on the sale of new FDA-approved therapies.