The Center for Medicare Advocacy joins Alzheimer’s organizations, caregivers, people with Alzheimer’s and their families, on World Alzheimer’s Day, to raise awareness about this devastating disease. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It devastates families and communities, and is one of the costliest chronic conditions to manage. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are about 5.5 million people in the United States who have Alzheimer’s, and every 66 seconds someone is newly diagnosed. As our population ages, the number of people affected by the disease is expected to increase dramatically.
For over 30 years, the Center for Medicare Advocacy has promoted access to quality healthcare for people living with long-term chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s. Medicare currently supports people with Alzheimer’s by providing cognitive assessments, person-centered care planning, inpatient hospital care, hospice care, and skilled nursing and home care. For those who need help with out-of-pocket or prescription drug costs, there are Medigap and Special Needs Plans, and the Low Income Subsidy.
But Medicare can do more. The Medicare agency must ensure that Medicare law is followed to ensure access to skilled maintenance care for people with long-term, chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. People experiencing cognitive decline must also be protected from the many Medicare-related scams that target them.
The Center for Medicare Advocacy will continue to advocate for programs that provide support to people with long-term, chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Critical programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security Disability Insurance must be strengthened and protected.