“Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease is Key to Giving Families More Time, Options and Hope”
The ASAP Act Would Provide Medicare Coverage for Preventive Alzheimer’s Detection
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, announced that his bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act (H.R. 6130) advanced out of the committee in a unanimous vote. Buchanan’s bill is co-led by Congressman Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.).
“Early detection of Alzheimer’s is key to giving families more time, options and hope,” said Buchanan. “Having served as a caregiver to an elderly parent with Alzheimer’s and with nearly 200,000 seniors in my district, this issue is deeply personal to me. Expanding access to early detection will give millions of Americans the opportunity to plan ahead and seek preventative care. I’m grateful to the committee for advancing my Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act and call on my colleagues in the House to pass it and ensure every American can benefit from these lifesaving innovations.”
“More than seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and for too many families, a diagnosis comes only after the disease has already taken a serious toll,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08). “Today, we have blood-based tests that can help detect Alzheimer’s before symptoms even appear, but outdated Medicare rules stand between seniors and access to these tools. As Chairman of our Health Subcommittee, Representative Buchanan has prioritized policies that improve health outcomes for Americans, informed in part by his own experience caring for his parent. His ASAP Act will help make sure seniors and their families can benefit from earlier detection and have more information as they navigate this devastating disease.”
“Many promising and potentially lifechanging advancements are being made in Alzheimer’s diagnoses, treatment, and care; but they will mean little unless patients are able to access and afford them,” Congressman Tonko said. “This is where Congress can and must act. I was proud to join Congressman Buchanan to introduce the ASAP Act, which builds a pathway for Medicare coverage of FDA approved blood biomarker screening tests that help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. I urge my colleagues to join us in advancing this bipartisan legislation that keeps Congress at pace with these exciting new innovations and ensures they are accessible to those who need them.”
The ASAP Act authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide a pathway for Medicare coverage for FDA-approved or cleared blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Under current law, Medicare can only cover preventive services that Congress has specifically authorized or that are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. That can delay coverage for years after a screening test receives FDA approval.
With 7.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s nationwide and more than 580,000 Floridians facing the disease, the ASAP Act aims to give families more time to plan ahead, seek care sooner and preserve their quality of life as blood-based screening technology continues to advance.
Buchanan’s bill is supported by the Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement and has secured 215 bipartisan cosponsors in the House. Senators Susan Collins(R-Maine) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate which has already secured 50 bipartisan cosponsors.
Buchanan is a leader in advancing legislation to support Alzheimer’s patients, caregivers and families. In June 2026, he introduced a bipartisan resolution alongside Reps. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), recognizing June 2026 as Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month.
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