Today more than 7.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s – a disease that, in addition to its devastating physical toll, wreaks havoc on family, friends, and communities.

Each year, Alzheimer’s is responsible for more than $400 billion in annual health care costs – a number that is on track to more than double to $1 trillion by 2050. These costs aren’t just born by patients themselves: millions of Americans are pulled out of the workforce to care for family members with Alzheimer’s costing families another $446 billion annually. Rural communities are hit even harder, as studies show that rural caregivers are more likely to face significant financial strain than urban caregivers. Rural America is also aging more rapidly than the rest of the country, bringing our country’s backbone closer to a breaking point.

Thankfully, new breakthroughs are providing hope against this terrible disease – tools to help detect Alzheimer’s before symptoms begin could save our health care system hundreds of billions of dollars by getting a jump-start on slowing the disease’s progression.

But Medicare’s outdated coverage rules risk blocking access to these critical tools despite overwhelming popular support from the public. According to a recent poll by President Trump’s own pollster, 92% of voters support expanded access to early detection tools. This is a unifying issue for Americans, because they understand the stakes of the fight, and what it would mean for themselves or their loved ones.

President Trump has an opportunity for a legacy-defining win by going on offense in the fight against Alzheimer’s – something that would win support from Americans across the political spectrum.

Getting ahead of Alzheimer’s would require policy changes in these key areas:

• Expand Coverage: Urge Congress to pass the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act, then fully implement the law by expanding coverage for future FDA-cleared Alzheimer’s screening tests.
• Improve Access: Aging Americans should be screened for Alzheimer’s during their Welcome to Medicare visit and subsequent Annual Medicare Wellness Visits; ensuring early detection tests can help aging Americans get a jump-start on detecting and slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s.
• Improve Awareness: Right now, only 2.4% of diagnosed Medicare patients receive Cognitive Assessment and Care Plan services. The Trump administration can help close that gap by launching provider and patient awareness campaigns so patients are aware of these additional tools.

By taking these steps, President Trump can ensure that seniors on fixed incomes are first in line to access the newest tools in fighting this disease. Early detection will save Medicare and Medicaid hundreds of billions of dollars over the coming decades, delivering on the President’s efforts to protect the programs for those who truly need them and saving American taxpayers money in the process.

These moves – which would reduce barriers, cut red tape, and deliver another decisive victory for the American people – must start with passage of the ASAP Act in 2026. The Trump administration can deliver results for millions of Americans now and in the future and cement a legacy that will endure long for decades to come.