[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 165 (Tuesday, November 19, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8198-S8199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 301--RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT ACT AND THE NATIONAL
PLAN TO ADDRESS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Johnson of
South Dakota, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Moran, and Mr. Markey)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
S. Res. 301
Whereas more than 5,000,000 individuals in the United
States live with Alzheimer's disease, and, based on current
projections, as many as 16,000,000 individuals in the United
States will have Alzheimer's disease by 2050;
Whereas 1 in every 9 individuals in the United States over
the age of 65 lives with Alzheimer's disease;
Whereas another individual in the United States develops
Alzheimer's disease every 68 seconds, and, by 2050, another
individual in the United States will develop the disease
every 33 seconds;
Whereas, in 2013, an estimated 450,000 people in the United
States will die from Alzheimer's disease, making it the
sixth-leading cause of death in the United States;
Whereas, between 2000 and 2010, deaths attributed to
Alzheimer's disease increased by 68 percent;
Whereas Alzheimer's disease is devastating physically,
emotionally, and financially;
Whereas Alzheimer's disease creates an enormous financial
strain on the health care system, families, and Federal and
State budgets;
Whereas, according to an independent study supported by the
National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer's disease is already
the costliest disease in the United States and is expected to
become even more costly in the future;
Whereas, in 2013, the total direct cost of caring for
individuals in the United States with Alzheimer's disease is
estimated to be $203,000,000,000, including $107,000,000,000
in costs to Medicare and $35,000,000,000 to Medicaid;
Whereas, if nothing is done to change the trajectory of the
disease, the total direct cost of caring for individuals in
the United States with Alzheimer's disease is expected to
rise to $1,200,000,000,000 by 2050;
Whereas the average cost to Medicare for beneficiaries with
Alzheimer's disease is 3 times higher than for those without
the condition;
Whereas a Federal commitment to fighting Alzheimer's
disease can lower costs and improve health outcomes for
people living with the disease today and in the future;
Whereas, by making Alzheimer's disease a national priority,
we can replicate the successes that have been achieved in
fighting other diseases;
Whereas leadership from the Federal Government has helped
lower the number of deaths from other major diseases and
health problems such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart disease, and
stroke;
Whereas, in 2010, Congress unanimously passed the National
Alzheimer's Project Act;
Whereas the National Alzheimer's Project Act requires the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to create and annually
update a National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease;
Whereas the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease
establishes goals and action steps to combat the disease in
the areas of research, care, support, and public awareness;
and
Whereas the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease
has resulted in some notable accomplishments, including the
creation of a blueprint for Alzheimer's research by the
National Institutes of Health: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes that additional focus, research, and
resources are needed to overcome Alzheimer's disease;
(2) acknowledges the impact that Alzheimer's disease has on
individuals with the disease, their caregivers and loved
ones, and the United States as a whole; and
(3) supports the goals and implementation of the National
Alzheimer's Project Act and the National Plan to Address
Alzheimer's Disease.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, we all know someone who has been affected
by Alzheimer's disease or someone else who has.
Everyone has occasional memory lapses, and it's normal to forget
names of an acquaintance or forget where you put your keys.
But Alzheimer's is so much more than just memory loss.
It is a debilitating disease that only gets worse as it progresses.
People living with the disease often forget conversations,
appointments, and eventually forget the names of close friends and may
no longer recognize their spouse or their children.
They struggle to recall the words to identify objects, and eventually
lose the ability to read and write.
Alzheimer's makes everyday activities like keeping track of bills and
cooking a meal extremely challenging and frustrating.
Although the disease develops differently for every individual, it
eventually leads to loss of memory, thinking and reasoning skills.
This year, approximately 450,000 people in the United States will die
from Alzheimer's disease.
Currently, more than 5 million Americans are living with the disease,
including 210,000 people in Illinois.
But with a new person being diagnosed with Alzheimer's every 68
seconds, the number of people with Alzheimer's will rise to 16 million
by 2050.
If nothing is done to change the trajectory of the disease, more
people and families will suffer and federal spending linked to the
disease will soar.
In 2013, the cost of caring for those with Alzheimer's disease will
total an estimated $203 billion for Medicaid and Medicare.
If we stay on this path, the total cost of caring for individuals
with Alzheimer's disease is expected to rise to 1.2 trillion by 2050--
an increase of more than 500 percent.
But this is a problem that we can solve.
In 2010, Congress recognized the need for additional resources and
research to overcome Alzheimer's disease and unanimously passed the
National Alzheimer's Project Act.
The National Alzheimer's Project Act created a national strategic
plan, which establishes goals and action steps to combat the disease in
the areas of research, care, support, and public awareness.
The plan has already resulted in some notable achievements.
In 2012, the National Institutes of Health dedicated an additional
$50 million for Alzheimer's research.
The Health Resources and Services Administration invested $2 million
to improve the quality of care for people with Alzheimer's.
But more needs to be done and the success of the National Alzheimer's
Plan requires continued federal investments for biomedical research and
resources for people with Alzheimer's.
President Obama's fiscal year 2014 budget proposed $100 million in
new NIH funding for Alzheimer's research.
The Senate Labor, Health, and Human Services appropriations bill
which passed the Appropriations Committee adds $84 million to the NIH's
National Institute of Aging for Alzheimer's research.
The bill also provides $40 million for the new Brain Initiative,
which will help us better understand the brain and Alzheimer's.
These federal investments to fight Alzheimer's disease can lower
costs and improve health outcomes for people living with the disease.
People like Janet Dever.
Janet Dever, 73 years old, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease
five years ago.
She does her best to not dwell on the negatives or sink into
depression.
But she says that the hardest part of the disease is watching her
family and friends suffer along with her.
The part of the disease that upsets her the most is that many people
don't know how to interact with her anymore, so they have stayed away.
But Janet and her husband Bill aren't giving up. And we shouldn't
give up either.
To reinforce the initial steps toward greater investment in finding
answers,
[[Page S8199]]
I am submitting this resolution, along with Senators Collins, Mikulski,
Tim Johnson, Menendez, Wicker, Moran, and Markey, supporting the goals
and implementation of the National Alzheimer's Project Act and the
National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease.
But to achieve these goals, the Plan needs federal funding to be
fully implemented.
I urge my colleagues to support this Resolution and reinforce our
national commitment to turning around the seeming inevitability of this
terrible brain disease.
I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure investments
are made in Alzheimer's research and to make the goal of preventing and
effectively treating Alzheimer's disease by 2050 a reality.
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