[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 91 (Tuesday, June 9, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3968-S3969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1966. Ms. STABENOW submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle C of title VII, add the following:

     SEC. 738. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON CARE FOR ALZHEIMER'S 
                   DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS UNDER TRICARE 
                   PROGRAM.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--
       (1) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (A) Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and ultimately 
     fatal neurodegenerative disease with no known cure and is the 
     sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
       (B) Only 45 percent of people with Alzheimer's disease or 
     their caregivers report ever being told of the diagnosis.
       (C) Accumulating evidence suggests a strong link between 
     head injury and future risk of Alzheimer's disease.
       (D) During the years of conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, 
     the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center reports 327,299 
     documented cases of traumatic brain injury among active duty 
     members of the Armed Forces.
       (E) Care planning can improve health outcomes for both the 
     diagnosed individual and caregivers of those individuals.
       (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (A) covered beneficiaries diagnosed with Alzheimer's 
     disease or a related dementia and their families should have 
     access to a

[[Page S3969]]

     comprehensive care planning session from the Department of 
     Defense;
       (B) the Secretary of Defense should take appropriate action 
     to provide eligible individuals with a care planning session 
     with respect to diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or a related 
     dementia; and
       (C) the care planning session should include, at minimum, a 
     comprehensive care plan, information on the diagnosis and 
     treatment options, and information on relevant medical and 
     community services.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
     United States shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services 
     of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the 
     House of Representatives a report on care planning services 
     for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias for all members 
     of the Armed Forces and covered beneficiaries.
       (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) A description and assessment of care planning services 
     for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias currently 
     provided for members of the Armed Forces and covered 
     beneficiaries, including access to care, scope of available 
     care, availability of specialty care, and use of care 
     planning sessions with beneficiaries and caregivers.
       (B) An assessment of the incidence and prevalence of 
     Alzheimer's disease and related dementias during the five-
     year period preceding the submittal of the report for members 
     of the Armed Forces and covered beneficiaries.
       (C) A description of how the Department of Defense would 
     implement a service for members of the Armed Forces and 
     covered beneficiaries who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's 
     disease or a related dementia that provides a one-time care 
     planning session to a beneficiary and caregivers of the 
     beneficiary to design a comprehensive care plan that includes 
     information about the diagnosis, medical and non-medical 
     options for ongoing treatment, and available services and 
     support.
       (c) Covered Beneficiaries Defined.--In this section, the 
     term ``covered beneficiaries'' has the meaning given that 
     term in section 1072(5) of title 10, United States Code.
                                 ______