News
What's happening in Alzheimer's care, research funding, and treatment — summarized simply, each item linked to the original reporting.
Free to read, “May need a subscription” and “Archived copy”: what they mean
Whether an article is free to read is a guess, not a test of your access. Each item is one of three:
- No label: free to read (303 of 347). The publisher’s page marks it free, or the outlet publishes free to read: Medical Xpress, ScienceDaily, NIH (incl. NIA and PMC), Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's News Today, NPR, Alzheimer's Disease International, or a .gov site.
- May need a subscription (11 of 347). The publisher’s own page marks the article as not free to read, or — when the page says nothing — the outlet sells subscriptions: The New York Times, STAT, Scientific American, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Wired, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Times, The Telegraph, New Scientist, Endpoints News, Science. Each badge says which.
- “Free to read? Not known” (33 of 347). The outlet is on neither list and its page said nothing. We do not call these paywalled.
Archived copy links go to a copy the Internet Archive (web.archive.org) saved, dated the day it was saved. We show one only where the Internet Archive reported a working saved copy when we checked; an archived copy of a subscription article sometimes shows only its opening. 265 of 347 items have one.
Medicare spending rises after private equity buys hospices
A study of for-profit hospices acquired by private equity firms found that Medicare spending rose by 5.9% per hospice stay after acquisition, compared with similar for-profit hospices that weren't acquired. …
Read at Medical Xpress →HHS updates National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease
HHS has updated its National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias, shifting the nation’s strategy toward prevention and earlier detection, federal officials said. …
Free to read? Not known for this outlet.
Read at Healio →National Plan for Alzheimer's and Dementia Gets an Update From HHS
(MedPage Today) -- HHS announced an update Thursday to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias that includes investment in projects focused on earlier detection and intervention. "Under President Trump, HHS is shifting...
Free to read? Not known for this outlet.
Read at MedPage Today → Archived copy (23 Oct 2026), Internet ArchiveStarting Alzheimer's treatment earlier increases benefits to patients and society
New treatments that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease could provide significant lifetime benefits to patients and society, with even greater benefits when initiated earlier, according to new research from the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (7 Oct 2026), Internet ArchiveConnecticut Enacts Family Caregiver Tax Credit of Up to $2,000 a Year, Effective Tax Year 2027
Gov. Ned Lamont signed Connecticut's fiscal year 2027 budget adjustment (Public Act 26-68) on May 26, 2026, creating a state tax credit for family caregivers who pay out-of-pocket costs to support the activities of daily living of adult family members. Reimbursements are capped at $2,000 a year and can cover home safety and accessibility modifications or paying a health aide or personal care attendant; the credit begins in tax year 2027. It is limited to individuals earning under $50,000 (joint filers under $100,000), requires a voucher application approved first-come first-served, and the program is capped at $1.8 million annually.
Why it matters: Connecticut has enacted a tax credit of up to $2,000 per year for family caregivers covering out-of-pocket costs for adult family members.
Free to read? Not known for this outlet.
Read at Connecticut Public (CT/WNPR); Office of Governor Ned Lamont press release → Archived copy (11 Jun 2026), Internet ArchiveA Simple Blood Test Could Detect Alzheimer's Earlier, But Medicare Doesn't Cover It
Medicare currently pays for Alzheimer's blood biomarker tests only after a patient already shows cognitive decline symptoms, not for pre-symptomatic screening, leaving out-of-pocket costs and geographic PET-scan deserts (e.g., Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas) as barriers, especially for lower-income patients.
Why it matters: Illustrates the real-world coverage gap the ASAP Act aims to close and quantifies dementia's cost burden on Medicare, already about 20% of Medicare spending and projected to reach one in three dollars by 2050.
Free to read? Not known for this outlet.
Read at Association of Health Care Journalists → Archived copy (3 Apr 2026), Internet Archive$100 Million Increase for Alzheimer's and Dementia Research Signed Into Law
The FY2026 federal spending package signed into law includes a $100 million increase for Alzheimer's and dementia research at NIH, bringing total funding to about $3.9 billion, plus $41.5 million for the CDC's BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act, the highest level since that law's enactment.
Why it matters: Converts the earlier Senate committee proposal into enacted law, securing real funding increases for research and public-health infrastructure despite a contentious broader budget environment.
Read at Alzheimer's Association → Archived copy (25 Aug 2026), Internet ArchiveHouse and Senate Appropriators Endorse NIH Budget Increase, Reject Trump's Proposed Cuts
Congressional appropriators set the NIH's overall budget at $48.7 billion for FY2026, a $415 million increase over FY2025, rejecting the White House's proposed cuts, while allowing a new multiyear-grant funding strategy to continue that had already resulted in thousands fewer awards to scientists in 2025.
Why it matters: Shows Congress broadly rebuffing proposed NIH cuts that had alarmed the Alzheimer's research community, though changes to multiyear grant funding could still constrain some researchers.
May need a subscription Based on the outlet (STAT), not a check of this article.
Read at STAT News → Archived copy (20 Jan 2026), Internet ArchiveExperts provide policy roadmap to reduce dementia risk
A national panel of experts has issued the strongest call yet for the Department of Health and Social Care to overhaul how it approaches dementia prevention…
Why it matters: A national panel of experts has issued a call for the Department of Health and Social Care to overhaul its approach to dementia prevention.
Read at Medical Xpress →Safe, low-cost Alzheimer's drug demonstrates efficacy against sickle cell anemia
Memantine, a long-approved and cost-effective drug used to treat Alzheimer's disease, could also benefit patients with sickle cell anemia in the future. …
Why it matters: Memantine, a long-approved and cost-effective Alzheimer's drug, shows potential to benefit patients with sickle cell anemia in the future.
Read at Medical Xpress →Minnesota Paid Leave Program Launches Statewide January 1, 2026, Covering Leave to Care for an Ill Family Member
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Gov. Tim Walz announced that the state's Paid Leave program, created by a 2023 law, launches statewide on January 1, 2026, providing eligible workers paid, job-protected time off for major life events including caring for an ill family member. Early applications for 2025 births opened Dec. 3, 2025; up to 20,000 Minnesotans were expected to apply in December and January. Small employers pay reduced premium rates and may qualify for grants to cover staffing costs during an employee's leave. The Minnesota Department of Revenue separately states that beginning January 2026 the program provides eligible individuals with medical or family leave.
Why it matters: Minnesota's statewide Paid Leave program launches January 1, 2026, providing eligible workers with paid, job-protected time off for major life events, including caring for an ill family member.
Read at Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED); Minnesota Department of Revenue → Archived copy (24 Feb 2026), Internet ArchiveSenate Introduces Bipartisan ASAP Act (S. 3267), Companion to House Alzheimer's Screening Bill
S. 3267, the ASAP Act (Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act), was introduced in the Senate on Nov. 20, 2025 by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Capito and Warner as lead cosponsors, one day after the House companion H.R. 6130 (Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-FL). The bill would create a pathway for Medicare coverage of FDA-approved blood-based dementia screening tests. GovInfo bill status (updated 2026-09-26) shows 54 cosponsors (GovTrack: 30 Democrats, 24 Republicans); latest Senate action remains the Nov. 20, 2025 referral to the Committee on Finance. The related House bill was ordered reported by Ways and Means 40-0 on Sept. 16, 2026.
Why it matters: The bipartisan ASAP Act would create a pathway for Medicare coverage of FDA-approved blood-based dementia screening tests.
Read at GovInfo (Library of Congress bill status XML); Alzheimer's Association newsroom; Sen. Cortez Masto press release → Archived copy (5 Jul 2026), Internet ArchiveHouse Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Accelerate Access to Alzheimer's Screening (ASAP Act)
Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced the Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act, which would create a Medicare coverage pathway for FDA-approved blood-based dementia screening tests.
Why it matters: Targets a gap identified by clinicians and advocates: despite new FDA-cleared blood tests, Medicare currently won't pay for them as a pre-symptomatic screening tool.
Read at Alzheimer's Association → Archived copy (7 Aug 2026), Internet ArchiveNIH releases Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Research Progress Report and FY27 Professional Judgment Budget
NIH released the FY 2027 Professional Judgment Budget for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and the NIH Scientific Progress Report.
Why it matters: The NIH has released its FY 2027 Professional Judgment Budget and Scientific Progress Report for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.
Read at NIH National Institute on Aging → Archived copy (2 Aug 2026), Internet ArchivePotential Stroke and Dementia Therapies Put on Hold at UCLA
Federal funding suspensions tied to a Trump administration policy targeting universities cut off support for roughly 58 UCLA studies related to Alzheimer's, dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases, including about $23 million backing the Neurology Department's work.
Why it matters: Shows how federal-university funding disputes can directly stall dementia drug and therapy research, including a UCLA-developed compound that had reached a pivotal testing stage.
Free to read? Not known for this outlet.
Read at UCLA newsroom → Archived copy (23 Jan 2026), Internet ArchiveSenate Appropriations Committee Approves $100 Million Increase for Alzheimer's Research
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a $100 million increase in NIH funding for Alzheimer's and dementia research for FY2026, which would bring total annual federal funding to about $3.9 billion, plus $41.5 million for CDC's Healthy Brain Initiative/BOLD Act programs.
Why it matters: Signals continued bipartisan congressional support for dementia research funding even amid broader proposed NIH budget cuts in the administration's FY2026 request.
Read at Alzheimer's Association → Archived copy (21 May 2026), Internet ArchiveResearch training spotlight: NIA funding enables researcher-mentor to “pay it forward”
Read about how renowned researcher María J. Marquine, Ph.D.'s helps clinicians understand cognitive differences in aging across populations.
Read at NIH National Institute on Aging → Archived copy (31 Jul 2026), Internet ArchiveNIA statement on the U.S. Cost of Dementia Model report
Read an announcement about an NIA-funded project that reports the economic burden of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia in the United States.
Why it matters: An NIA-funded project reports the economic burden of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia in the United States.
Read at NIH National Institute on Aging → Archived copy (2 Aug 2026), Internet ArchiveLifesaving Alzheimer's Research Delayed by Trump Funding Cuts
A nearly $36 million NIH grant to a UC Davis dementia study was terminated in March 2025 before being reinstated after appeal, while 14 of 35 NIH-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers faced funding uncertainty, including a $3 million loss at Columbia.
Why it matters: Interruptions to federal funding threaten ongoing patient studies, brain-bank operations, and the multi-institution collaborations needed to advance treatments.
May need a subscription Based on the outlet (Scientific American), not a check of this article.
Read at Scientific American → Archived copy (15 Aug 2026), Internet ArchiveReview of Medicare data reveals potential new statistics on dementia diagnosis
A study of Medicare data showed that roughly 9% of beneficiaries — 5.3 million people — may have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.
Why it matters: A review of Medicare data indicates that approximately 9 percent of beneficiaries, totaling 5.3 million people, may have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.
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