IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 237 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2015 

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California (for herself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, 

Mr. FATTAH, and Mr. GARAMENDI) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 

addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

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; 


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•HRES 237 IH 

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 the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s and other 

dementias is a global health crisis that afflicts an estimated 44,000,000 individuals worldwide as of December, 

2013 and may afflict over 135,000,000 individuals by 

2050; 

Whereas Alzheimer’s is a leading cause of death in the 

United States with new data indicating that more than 

500,000 deaths each year are attributable to the disease; 

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 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.) are estimated to bear more than 

two-thirds of the total costs of this care in 2015; 

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 2013, an estimated 15,500,000 family members 

and friends of individuals with Alzheimer’s provided those 

individuals with 17,700,000,000 hours of unpaid care, an 

amount valued at more than $220,000,000; 


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•HRES 237 IH 

Whereas Alzheimer’s disease has a disproportionate impact 

on many populations including women, African-Americans, and Latinos; 

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 in December 2013, the G–8 nations met and adopted a political declaration supporting the goal of a cure or 

disease-modifying therapy for dementia by 2025 as well 

as collectively and significantly increasing resources committed to dementia research; 

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; 


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•HRES 237 IH 

Whereas a strong and sustained research effort is the best 

tool to slow the progression and ultimately prevent the 

onset of Alzheimer’s; 

Whereas while the cost to the Medicare and Medicaid programs of caring for Alzheimer’s patients is estimated to 

be $153,000,000,000 in 2015, the United States, 

through the National Institutes of Health, will spend 

about $586,000,000 on Alzheimer’s research in 2015; 

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 House of Representatives— 

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 


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•HRES 237 IH 

1 prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s by 2025 is 

2 an urgent national priority; 

3 (3) recognizes that bold action and considerable 

4 increases in funding are necessary to meet that goal; 

5 (4) encourages greater collaboration between 

6 the United States and other global governments, 

7 particularly the G–7 nations, to advance a global 

8 Alzheimer’s and dementia research plan; 

9 (5) supports innovative public-private partner10 ship and the pursuit of innovative financing tools, 

11 incentives and other mechanisms to accelerate the 

12 pursuit of disease-modifying therapies; and 

13 (6) strives to— 

14 (A) significantly increase the amount of 

15 funding the United States spends on Alz16 heimer’s research in fiscal year 2016; and 

17 (B) develop a plan for fiscal years 2017 

18 through 2020 to meet the target of the Advi19 sory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, 

20 and Services for the United States to spend 

21 $2,000,000,000 each year on Alzheimer’s re22 search. 

Æ 


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