Delivers Life-Changing Early Detection for 580,000 Floridians Living with Alzheimer’s
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Health Subcommittee, announced the introduction of the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act alongside Congressman Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.). Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced companion legislation in the Senate. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would ensure that seniors have timely access to innovative diagnostic tests that can detect Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in their earliest stages.
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 (USPTF). This process can delay coverage for years after screening tests receive FDA approval. The ASAP Act modernizes that process by authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide Medicare coverage for FDA-approved or cleared blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
“Early detection is the key to giving families more time, more options and more hope,” said Buchanan. “Having served as a caretaker to an elderly parent and with nearly 200,000 seniors in my district, this issue is deeply personal to me. With 7.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s nationwide and more than 580,000 Floridians facing this disease, expanding access to early detection means giving more families the chance to plan ahead, seek care sooner and preserve their quality of life. My Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act will make sure every American can benefit from these life-saving innovations as science continues to advance.”
“Many pioneering 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,” said Congressman Tonko. “This is where Congress can and must act. I’m 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.”
Alzheimer’s disease begins years before symptoms appear, creating a critical window for early intervention. Earlier diagnosis allows patients and caregivers to plan for the future, pursue available treatments and explore participation in clinical trials.
In Florida alone, caring for people living with Alzheimer’s costs the state’s Medicaid program $3.7 billion each year. More than 870,000 family caregivers in Florida provide approximately 1.3 billion hours of unpaid care annually for people living with Alzheimer’s, valued at $28.4 billion. Buchanan’s ASAP Act aims to ease the financial burdens on unpaid family caregivers by expanding access to preventive care that saves money and improves quality of life.
Buchanan penned an op-ed in RealClearHealth highlighting the personal impact of Alzheimer’s on his family and district, the importance of giving families the tools they need to detect and prevent the disease, and the need to pass the ASAP Act.
“Alzheimer’s is not a partisan issue but a human one that affects families in every community across the nation,” writes Buchanan in the op-ed. “By expanding access to early detection, we can bring hope to millions, ease the burden on caregivers and help seniors live longer, healthier lives. As science advances, Congress must act to ensure our health policies evolve alongside the breakthroughs shaping modern medicine.”
The legislation is supported by the Alzheimer’s Association, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation and the Alliance for Aging Research, as well as leading innovators in diagnostics and biopharmaceutical research, including Eli Lilly, Biogen and Eisai.
“With new blood-based biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s on the horizon, we must act now to ensure individuals will be able to access them. The ASAP Act will remove barriers so that individuals can benefit without delay—giving them the best chance to access interventions, enhance care, and slow disease progression,” said Robert Egge, Chief Public Policy Officer of the Alzheimer’s Association and President of the Alzheimer’ s Impact Movement. “Thank you to Reps. Vern Buchanan and Paul Tonko for taking bold action and introducing this transformative legislation. We look forward to working together to make this bipartisan bill a reality for families nationwide.”
“The ASAP Act is an important step toward giving concerned families the answers and options they need as quickly as possible,” said Russ Paulsen, Chief Operating Officer of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. “Breakthroughs like blood-based biomarker tests, and other innovations still to come, must be available to all—not just to people who can pay out of their own pockets—when they are approved by the FDA. We strongly support this bipartisan bill and urge Congress to act without delay.”
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.
