III 

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; 


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•SRES 303 IS 

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; 


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•SRES 303 IS 

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 wellbeing; 

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; 


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•SRES 303 IS 

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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) is committed to strengthening the quality of 

3 care and expanding support for individuals with Alz4 heimer’s disease and related dementias (referred to 

5 in this resolution as ‘‘Alzheimer’s’’) and family care6 givers of individuals with Alzheimer’s; 

7 (2) declares that achieving the primary goal of 

8 the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease to 

9 prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s by 2025 is 

10 an urgent national priority; 


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•SRES 303 IS 

1 (3) recognizes that bold action and dramatic in2 creases in funding are necessary to meet that goal; 

3 and 

4 (4) strives to— 

5 (A) double the amount of funding the 

6 United States spends on Alzheimer’s research 

7 in fiscal year 2015; and 

8 (B) develop a plan for fiscal years 2016 

9 through 2019 to meet the target of the Advi10 sory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, 

11 and Services for the United States to spend 

12 $2,000,000,000 each year on Alzheimer’s re13 search. 

Æ 


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