Letter to the editor
Letter to the Editor:
Currently, over 129,200 Tennesseans are living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, and many more likely remain undiagnosed. A simple blood test can now detect Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear — a scientific milestone that could change lives. Early detection and diagnosis are critical, as they allow individuals access to treatments when they are most effective and more time to plan for the future
Having had several family members with Alzheimer’s, I understand firsthand the importance of early detection. When my grandmother was diagnosed over thirty years ago, there was very little help available. Even when my mother was diagnosed in 2015, only a handful of medications existed to treat symptoms. Now in my fifties, I am concerned about being part of the next generation impacted by this devastating disease.
Additionally, in my role as a dementia care navigator, I work daily with families navigating memory loss. Unfortunately, I frequently witness the devastating impact of late diagnoses.
Thankfully, Congressman Burchett can play an important role in accelerating access to blood biomarker tests and earlier detection of Alzheimer’s and other dementia in Tennessee and across the nation. This is a “mammogram moment” for Alzheimer’s — just as Congress enabled Medicare to cover routine mammograms, leading to earlier detection and declining breast cancer deaths, Congress can deliver the same breakthrough moment for Alzheimer’s.
The bipartisan ASAP Act (S. 3267 / H.R.6130) creates a pathway for Medicare coverage of FDA-approved dementia blood biomarker screening tests, helping to ensure beneficiaries do not face unnecessary delays or barriers to detection and treatment.
The passage of the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act would provide me and countless families with significant hope, knowing that Alzheimer’s could be identified early through a simple routine blood test.
Please join me and the Alzheimer’s Association in encouraging Congressman Burchett to support the bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act.
To learn more about this disease and how you can join the fight to end Alzheimer’s, please visit alz.org.
- Kim Warnick, Farragut
Founder, Dementia Care Solutions of East Tennessee
