FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Toni Williams, 202.638.8666; toni.williams@alz.org
Alzheimer’s Association media line, 312.335.4078
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION COMMENDS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
FOR RECOGNIZING THE RISK ALZHEIMER’S POSES TO THE NATION’S FUTURE
- Alzheimer’s Association Statement -

Washington, D.C., February 14, 2012 – The Alzheimer’s Association commends the Obama Administration
for releasing a budget that directs needed resources as a down payment in the fight against Alzheimer's
disease. The Association applauds the Administration’s action which responds to the extraordinary toll of the
disease on millions of American families, and also the profound implications Alzheimer’s holds for federal
and state budgets.

Building on the dedication of an additional $50 million for Alzheimer’s research in the current fiscal year, the
President’s fiscal year 2013 budget includes $80 million in new Alzheimer’s research funding, and $20
million for education, outreach and support for American families affected by Alzheimer’s. These new
resources are sorely needed to keep pace with Alzheimer’s steadily mounting impact.

In 2011, the cost of caring for those with Alzheimer’s to American society will total an estimated $183
billion. Average per person Medicare payments for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are three
times higher than for those without these conditions. Medicaid spending on seniors with Alzheimer’s and
other dementias is nine times higher. Unless something is done, the costs of Alzheimer’s to Americans in
2050 will total $1.1 trillion (in today’s dollars). Between now and 2050, Medicare spending on those with
Alzheimer’s will increase nearly 600 percent, and Medicaid spending will increase nearly 400 percent.
These costs result from the nature of Alzheimer’s which requires intense intervention, complicates the
management of co-existing conditions, increases preventable hospitalizations, and triggers earlier placement
in long term care facilities. But the costs are also driven by the numbers of individuals affected – an estimated
5.4 million today, increasing to as many as 16 million by 2050 in lockstep with our aging population – and the
fact that today Alzheimer’s is the only leading cause of death in the country without a means to prevent, stop
or even slow its progression.

The Administration’s non-partisan, policy-driven approach to assessing and responding to the Alzheimer’s
crisis is in keeping with recent action by Congress which passed the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (P.L.
111-135) on a unanimous, bipartisan basis. As the Administration calls for the dedication of needed resources
to overcome this disease, the Alzheimer’s Association urges Congress to continue to address Alzheimer’s
with the same collaboration demonstrated in passing the National Alzheimer’s Project Act and with a
commitment equal to the scale of the crisis.

Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer's Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and
research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance
care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a
world without Alzheimer’s. For more information, visit www.alz.org.

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