[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 28, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





           RECOGNIZING ALZHEIMER'S AND BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH

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                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 28, 2016

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, as we close out the month of 
June, Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, it is critical to note 
that the effort to enhance treatment and find a cure for Alzheimer's 
must be prioritized year round. Yet, there is no better time to reflect 
upon the progress that has been made in this effort, the long road 
ahead and opportunities just around the corner.
  According to the Alzheimer's Association, 5.4 million Americans 
suffer from Alzheimer's or related dementia and as the baby boom 
population ages, that number is expected to skyrocket. This devastating 
disease impacts patients and families alike. Over 15 million family 
members and friends provide over 18 billion hours of unpaid care to 
their loved ones annually, at tremendous emotional and often financial 
sacrifice.
  Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that affects an individual's 
cognitive abilities. While Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of 
death for Americans, it is the only disease among the ten leading 
causes of death in America that cannot be prevented cured or even 
slowed.
  Alzheimer's is also the most expensive disease in America and incurs 
catastrophic costs to Medicare and Medicaid--approximately $236 billion 
in 2016. On average, Medicare spends three times more on seniors with 
Alzheimer's than without.
  To ensure that optimum care is provided to every Alzheimer's patient, 
we need to find innovative ways to improve quality of care. To this 
end, I have introduced legislation--the Health Outcomes, Planning, and 
Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer's Act--which will amend the Social 
Security Act to add an additional one-time benefit for care planning 
services for Medicare beneficiaries newly diagnosed with Alzheimer's 
disease and related dementias. This one time comprehensive care 
planning session will arm patients and caregivers with the facts, 
prognosis, and most efficacious treatment plan.
  It is our moral imperative to support individuals with Alzheimer's 
and their caregivers. We have an obligation to care for our citizens as 
they age and we must support them as they struggle to face the 
challenges of this disease.
  HOPE fulfills this obligation by ensuring quality of life for 
Alzheimer's patients. These patients are often hospitalized because co-
morbidities, such as diabetes, become uncontrolled when patients are no 
longer able to manage their own care. In other instances, medicines 
prescribed to control the symptoms of Alzheimer's can be rendered 
ineffective when patients, unequipped with sufficient information, use 
them in conjunction with other prescriptions. Care planning can ensure 
this does not happen, ensuring that symptoms are controlled to the 
extent possible, so patients can have the best quality of life.
  Not only would HOPE improve health outcomes for Alzheimer's patients, 
it would also mitigate the huge, unnecessary costs associated with 
preventable trips to hospitals and emergency rooms. This is especially 
important, as Alzheimer's is the most expensive disease in America and 
presents a unique cost to Medicare and Medicaid.
  A cost estimate commissioned by the Alzheimer's Association and 
conducted by Healthsperien, a DC based health care consulting firm, 
indicated that as a result of this legislation, net federal health 
spending would decrease by $692 million over the 10-year period.
  The cost estimate is based on a study tracking 1,756 patients newly 
diagnosed with dementia, depression or mild cognitive impairment, 
broken into two cohorts, one cohort receiving comprehensive care 
planning and chronic care management through a collaborative care model 
and the other cohort not.
  The study showed a significant savings for those patients enrolled in 
the collaborative care model as opposed to their peers and based on the 
study, the HOPE benefit is estimated to have a per person savings of 
$600 and per person cost $200 for a 3:1 return on investment.
  Passage of my legislation, which has 291 bipartisan cosponsors, will 
empower individuals with much-needed information to outline their 
future treatments and care--giving patients HOPE, and a plan for their 
future.
  In closing Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support my bill and 
hope that the momentum brought to this issue during Alzheimer's and 
Brain Awareness Month carries forward.

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