ARGENTUM ADVOCATES


Argentum Member, Coalition Advocacy Leads to Funding Boost for Alzheimer’s Research


By Dan Samson T


ucked into last December’s $1.7 tril- lion omnibus spending package in Congress was hundreds of millions


of dollars in new funding for Alzheimer’s disease research, which Argentum and our coalition partners advanced. Among this was an increase of $226 mil-


lion for Alzheimer’s research and a $500 million increase for Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to ac- celerate the pace of scientific breakthroughs for diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s dis- ease, diabetes, and cancer. These increases would not have been pos-


sible without tireless advocacy by senior ad- vocacy and Alzheimer's awareness groups, such as the Alzheimer’s Association, Lead- ers Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease, and US Against Alzheimer’s, regularly meeting with lawmakers to educate them on new breakthroughs and promises on the hori- zon. And Argentum member Senior Star has been among the most active advocates for these initiatives and have been pivotal in securing much needed federal funding. While last year’s efforts to secure funding


for Alzheimer's research were successful, the work to better understand the disease, explore treatments, and eventually find a cure, doesn’t stop. And that’s why we have continued to push for additional federal re- sources in the next fiscal year (FY) spending package. In March, President Biden released his FY


2024 budget request to Congress, seeking $1.7 trillion in discretionary spending. The proposal itself is effectively dead-on-arrival in a divided Congress, but it does provide insight into what the administration will prioritize in what is expected to be intense negotiations with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in the coming months.


Compared to the massive increases in funding in recent years, the Biden Admin- istration’s budget for Alzheimer’s efforts was relatively modest. It calls for an increase of only $16 million for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and no additional funding for the National Institute on Aging (NIA); these two institutes are the primary federal research centers focused on Alzheimer’s and related dementia. With the pace of inflation—and particularly medical inflation—these flat amounts effectively amount to a net de- crease in funding levels. However, this is not the end of the story


for budget negotiations. In fact, it is only the beginning as lawmakers on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees begin to draft their budget proposals for FY 2024. Lawmakers set lofty, but rarely met, targets to adopt budget topline amounts by April 15, and craft the appropriations bills in de- tail throughout the summer in advance of the September 30 deadline for the end of the fiscal year. Argentum is working closely with our


coalition partners to push lawmakers to better match their budgets with the reality of what is needed to continue momentum on Alzheimer's research, including what was identified in the National Institutes of Health’s assessment of need reported in the FY 2024 Professional Judgment Bud- get for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. Our advocacy efforts will focus on risk re-


duction, detection, and diagnosis, promot- ing quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers, and leading research advances that show promise to prevent, slow, stop, and eventually end all forms of dementia.


Beyond these federal efforts, Alzheimer’s


remains a leading issue at the state level, with nearly five hundred pieces of legis- lation introduced during this year’s state legislative sessions specifically aimed at Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. These range from state plans and aware-


ness campaigns to caregiver education and support programs, and respite care pro- grams. Already, 32 pieces of legislation have been signed into law this year alone, and more than 60 other bills have passed one or both legislative chambers and are advancing towards governors’ desks. With nearly two-in-five senior living res-


idents living with Alzheimer's, advancing legislation at the federal and state level is a top priority for Argentum our State Partner affiliates. They key part to any successful advocacy


effort is simply telling our story and that of our residents and caregivers. Any campaign to support policies that will improve the quality of life for residents and caregivers will always focus on the personal impact that these policies will have on daily life in the community. We encourage all Argentum Advocates


to join us in these efforts. Join us on Cap- itol Hill in Washington, D.C., as we meet with Congress! Join your state associations for their “Hill Day” activities to help put a face and a name to our policy proposals. And remain active in our advocacy: stay up to date through our weekly AHEAD with Argentum newsletters; participate in our monthly policy briefings, and take action in our letter-writing campaigns to connect constituents with policymakers. Together we make a difference.


MAY/JUNE 2023 ARGENTUM.ORG 53


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