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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 303 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 303

   Declaring that achieving the primary goal of the National Plan to 
   Address Alzheimer's Disease of the Department of Health and Human 
 Services to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's disease by 2025 
                    is an urgent national priority.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 20, 2013

     Ms. Collins (for herself, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. 
 Blumenthal) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
        the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Declaring that achieving the primary goal of the National Plan to 
   Address Alzheimer's Disease of the Department of Health and Human 
 Services to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's disease by 2025 
                    is an urgent national priority.

Whereas the number of individuals in the United States with Alzheimer's disease 
        and related dementias (referred to in this preamble as ``Alzheimer's'') 
        is as high as 5,200,000, which is more than double the number in 1980;
Whereas based on the trajectory of Alzheimer's, as many as 16,000,000 
        individuals in the United States may have Alzheimer's by 2050;
Whereas Alzheimer's is a global health crisis that afflicts an estimated 
        36,000,000 individuals worldwide as of October 2013 and may afflict over 
        115,000,000 individuals by 2050;
Whereas Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States;
Whereas 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;
Whereas Alzheimer's places an enormous financial strain on families, the health 
        care system, and State and Federal budgets;
Whereas in 2013, the direct costs of caring for individuals with Alzheimer's 
        will total an estimated $203,000,000,000, including $142,000,000,000 in 
        costs to the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) and the Medicaid program under title XIX of 
        the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.);
Whereas the annual costs of caring for individuals with Alzheimer's are 
        projected to increase from $203,000,000,000 in 2013 to 
        $1,200,000,000,000 in 2050;
Whereas a RAND Corporation study published in 2013 and commissioned by the 
        National Institute on Aging found that Alzheimer's is the costliest 
        disease in the United States, costing more than cancer and heart 
        disease;
Whereas in 2012, an estimated 15,400,000 family members and friends of 
        individuals with Alzheimer's provided those individuals with 
        17,500,000,000 hours of unpaid care, an amount valued at more than 
        $216,000,000;
Whereas the global cost of Alzheimer's exceeds $600,000,000,000 each year, an 
        amount equal to approximately 1 percent of the world's gross domestic 
        product;
Whereas Alzheimer's takes an emotional and physical toll on caregivers that 
        results in a higher incidence of chronic conditions, such as heart 
        disease, cancer, and depression among caregivers;
Whereas the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease of the Department of 
        Health and Human Services enables family caregivers of individuals with 
        Alzheimer's to provide care while maintaining personal health and well-
        being;
Whereas the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease supports informal 
        caregivers by--

    (1) identifying the support needs of caregivers;

    (2) developing and disseminating modes for intervention;

    (3) providing information that caregivers need, particularly in crisis 
situations; and

    (4) assisting caregivers in maintaining personal health and well-being;

Whereas a strong and sustained research effort is the best tool to slow the 
        progression and ultimately prevent the onset of Alzheimer's;
Whereas the National Institutes of Health spends each year approximately--

    (1) $6,000,000,000 on cancer research;

    (2) $3,000,000,000 on HIV/AIDS research; and

    (3) $2,000,000,000 on cardiovascular disease research;

Whereas while the cost to the Medicare and Medicaid programs of caring for 
        Alzheimer's patients is $142,000,000,000 each year, the United States 
        spends slightly more than $500,000,000 each year on Alzheimer's 
        research;
Whereas the Chairman of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and 
        Services created by the National Alzheimer's Project Act (42 U.S.C. 
        11225) has testified before Congress that the United States must devote 
        at least $2,000,000,000 each year to Alzheimer's research to reach the 
        goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer's by 2025; and
Whereas the public members of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, 
        Care, and Services unanimously agree with the testimony of the Chairman 
        regarding the amount of money required to reach the goal for 2025: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) is committed to strengthening the quality of care and 
        expanding support for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and 
        related dementias (referred to in this resolution as 
        ``Alzheimer's'') and family caregivers of individuals with 
        Alzheimer's;
            (2) declares that achieving the primary goal of the 
        National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease to prevent and 
        effectively treat Alzheimer's by 2025 is an urgent national 
        priority;
            (3) recognizes that bold action and dramatic increases in 
        funding are necessary to meet that goal; and
            (4) strives to--
                    (A) double the amount of funding the United States 
                spends on Alzheimer's research in fiscal year 2015; and
                    (B) develop a plan for fiscal years 2016 through 
                2019 to meet the target of the Advisory Council on 
                Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services for the United 
                States to spend $2,000,000,000 each year on Alzheimer's 
                research.
                                 <all>
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