{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-vasquez-champions-expanded-access-preventive-and-diagnostic-care", "Rep. Vasquez Champions Expanded Access to Preventive and Diagnostic Care for Alzheimer\u2019s and Related Dementias", "2026-06-24", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "NM", "Gabe Vasquez", "V000136", "vasquez.house.gov", "vasquez", "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 On June 24, 2026 \u2014 during Alzheimer\u2019s & Brain Awareness Month \u2014 U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) supported legislation that would combat Alzheimer's disease by expanding access to preventive and diagnostic healthcare under Medicare. Over 46,000 New Mexicans are currently living with Alzheimer\u2019s, and 68,000 New Mexicans provide uncompensated care for loved ones living with the disease.\n\nUnder current law, Medicare can cover a limited array of diagnostic tests and preventive services related to Alzheimer\u2019s and dementia, but some screenings and blood tests are excluded. The bipartisan Alzheimer\u2019s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act would expand Medicare coverage for FDA-approved blood tests that can help detect Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia earlier, which would shorten the time to diagnosis and reduce costs for New Mexicans. Early detection gives New Mexicans valuable time to begin treatment, make informed decisions, and lean on loved ones and support services.\n\n\u201cOver 46,000 New Mexicans are currently grappling with Alzheimer\u2019s, and most of us have seen this disease\u2019s devastating impact firsthand with our own loved ones or members of our community,\u201d said Vasquez. \u201cEarly detection is our best tool when it comes to combating Alzheimer\u2019s, and this Alzheimer\u2019s & Brain Awareness month, I\u2019m supporting bipartisan legislation to make Alzheimer's treatment and prevention more affordable and accessible for hardworking folks.\u201d\n\nVasquez also supports the Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act, which gives primary care providers additional tools and training to accurately and confidently diagnose Alzheimer\u2019s and other dementias. This bill will educate primary care providers, including those in rural and underserved communities where speciality care can be out of reach, on the necessary steps to diagnose individuals experiencing cognitive decline.\n\nThese bills honor the 46,000 New Mexicans living with Alzheimer\u2019s disease by paving the way for accessible preventative care, and they build on Rep. Vasquez\u2019s work to cut down costs and expand access to healthcare, including:\n\nConsistently opposing efforts to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and ensuring seniors have access to the benefits they have earned and quality, affordable healthcare\n\nIntroducing the Careworkers Visa Act to bring down the cost of in-home healthcare and eldercare by creating a new legal visa pathway for qualified careworkers, curbing crippling workforce shortages as the population ages\n\nSupporting the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act to make it easier for New Mexicans to see the doctors and specialists they need by increasing the health care workforce\n\nCosponsoring the Protecting Healthcare and Lowering Costs Act to reverse devastating health care cuts in the Republican tax law and permanently extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits\n\nChampioning the Rural Health Care Facilities Revitalization Act, aiding rural health centers to improve equipment and services\n\nVoting to slash prescription drug costs, expand coverage for seniors, and ensure price transparency by passing the bipartisan Lower Costs, More Transparency Act\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-30T06:29:10Z", "2026-06-30T06:30:42Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-vasquez-champions-expanded-access-preventive-and-diagnostic-care"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4958628453314304, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}