Previewed Bipartisan Blood Biomarkers Legislation
WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Health Subcommittee, joined Axios Live’s The Future of Alzheimer’s Care event for an interview with Peter Sullivan, Health Policy Reporter for Axios. Buchanan highlighted the latest policy advancements and challenges surrounding the future of Alzheimer’s care, including efforts to expand access to early detection, strengthen caregiver support and improve quality of life for patients and their families.
Click here or the image above to view Congressman Buchanan’s remarks.
Here’s what Buchanan said about the future of Alzheimer’s policy in Congress:
On caring for a father with early Alzheimer’s:
Peter Sullivan: “Congressman Buchanan, thanks so much for joining us. ... There’s a lot going on on Alzheimer’s these days, and I know that’s a subject you’re very active on. ... What do you kind of view as the next steps for Congress in the Alzheimer’s space?”
Rep. Buchanan: “My passion for this is because my father, was at a young age — 58 — ... when we found out he had Alzheimer’s. ... He ended up moving into our house for 10 years. So I know the impact of caregiving and what it costs, the time and money it takes to care for a loved one. That’s where a lot of my passion comes from.”
On his pending legislation surrounding early detection and screening innovations:
Peter Sullivan: “Is there room for Congress ... to work on Medicare coverage ... whether it’s drugs or even the tests that are needed to know that you have early Alzheimer’s? ... What kind of legislation are you working on?”
Rep. Buchanan: “The big thing is the potential to be able to take your blood and figure out exactly where you’re at. ... There’s a lot of movement on a lot of different fronts. ... I’ve got a great co-lead on this piece of legislation, which will make a big difference in that space in terms of prevention. That’s really my whole thrust; it’s all about prevention. It’s about trying to deal with a problem before it becomes a serious problem.”
On the future of Alzheimer’s research:
Peter Sullivan: “We’ve seen some drugs, treatments for Alzheimer’s, for the first time. There’s also been some debate around the cost of those drugs. ... How have you kind of viewed that whole debate ... around cost and access?”
Rep. Buchanan: “We’ve got to work on two parts. One is the research, and a lot of the effort that’s being done in that space ... a lot of its pretty promising, as you mentioned, being able to analyze someone’s blood work and some different prescriptions that could make a big difference. ... Just in terms of Florida, 580,000 people are challenged with Alzheimer’s, and Medicaid, just in Florida, spends almost $4 billion a year. ... I think these are very real opportunities.”
Peter Sullivan: “Do you feel like the Alzheimer’s research part of NIH’s work is still on track? How do you view their work?”
Rep. Buchanan: “I’m optimistic. They’re doing a lot of work. These things are bipartisan. ... You’ve got to have a bipartisan willing partner. There are a lot of people who are enthusiastic about where we’re at, but more importantly, where we can be. ... We’ve got a bill we want to introduce as soon as we get back to Washington ... with a co-lead, a Democrat from New York ... and we’re going to make a big difference.”
On prevention as the path forward:
Peter Sullivan: “How has Alzheimer’s been able to break through in terms of being a bipartisan issue? How has that helped? Can that help get this legislation you mentioned across the finish line?”
Rep. Buchanan: “I’m all about prevention and exercise. I think that goes a long way to minimizing a lot of these chronic diseases. ... A lot of the food that we eat is not very nutritious. And that’s making a big challenge for a lot of people. ... The bill we’re going to introduce as soon as we get back ... is on the idea of taking someone’s blood and ... being able to evaluate that and see if they have an issue or not and try to catch it in the very early stages.”
Peter Sullivan: “And that bill would be to provide Medicare coverage of those blood tests?”
Rep. Buchanan: “That’s our goal. ... We have a lot of people on both sides of the aisle that want to weigh in and make a difference, because everybody’s been impacted by it like I have. Maybe it’s not an immediate family member, but it’s somebody else that they know of, a loved one or a good friend. ... This is curable, I’m hopeful, and we’re going to keep pushing very aggressively to make sure it becomes a reality.”
Buchanan has been a leading advocate in Congress for strengthening preventive care and improving access to innovative health solutions. Buchanan recently introduced the FORCE-FIT Act (H.R. 3750), which would establish a pilot program in the Department of Defense to provide access to Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems (CGMs) for servicemembers with certain health conditions to track metabolic health data. In March 2025, Buchanan’s Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act (H.R. 919), which expands treatment options provided through employers’ healthcare coverage for Americans living with chronic diseases, passed the House with a unanimous bipartisan vote. In February 2025, Buchanan introduced two bills to promote preventive health: the Permanent Telehealth from Home Act (H.R. 1407) to remove obstructive geographic limitations to telehealth services and the Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act (H.R. 1406) to help ensure timely access to advanced screenings for lung cancer.
