Policy 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 →Routine blood test may suggest future dementia risk
A common blood test already carried out during routine health checks may contain clues about a person's long-term risk of dementia, according to research being presented at the ECNP Congress in Munich and published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (12 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 ArchiveAgitation impacts quality of life in Alzheimer’s disease
Agitation has a negative impact on the quality of life of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to 97% of their caregivers who responded to an online survey presented at Psych Congress 2026. …
Free to read? Not known for this outlet.
Read at Healio → Archived copy (9 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 ArchiveMaine Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Begin May 1, 2026, Including Leave to Care for a Family Member
The Maine Department of Labor announced that leave under the state's new Paid Family and Medical Leave program officially begins May 1, 2026, with the first weekly benefit payments on May 7. The program provides up to 12 weeks of partial wage replacement per benefit year, including 'Family Care Leave' to care for a loved one with a serious health condition. Since applications opened March 30 the department had received over 2,000 state-plan applications. Funded since January 2025 by a 1% payroll contribution split between workers and employers at businesses with 15 or more employees; Maine joins 13 other states and DC with similar programs.
Why it matters: Maine's Paid Family and Medical Leave program begins May 1, 2026, offering up to 12 weeks of partial wage replacement for workers caring for family or dealing with serious health conditions.
Read at Maine Department of Labor → Archived copy (15 May 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 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 →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 ArchiveNebraska Caregiver Tax Credit Takes Effect for 2025, With Higher $3,000 Cap for Dementia Caregivers
Nebraska's Caregiver Tax Credit Act (LB 937, enacted 2024) is operative for tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2025. The Department of Revenue began accepting applications in February 2025. The nonrefundable credit equals 50% of eligible caregiving expenditures up to $2,000, or $3,000 if the family member is a veteran or is diagnosed with dementia. Caregivers must have federal AGI under $100,000 (joint) or $50,000 (other filers); the family member must live in a private residence and need help with at least two activities of daily living. Eligible expenses include home modifications, equipment, respite care and adult day care. Credits are capped statewide at $1.5 million for state fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27, then $2.5 million.
Why it matters: Nebraska's Caregiver Tax Credit provides nonrefundable tax relief of up to $3,000 to assist eligible family caregivers with caregiving expenses.
Read at Nebraska Department of Revenue → Archived copy (10 Jul 2026), Internet ArchiveFollow new items in a feed reader: Atom feed.