{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/stabenow-collins-markey-capito-menendez-announce-senate-passage-of-bipartisan-improving-hope-for-alzheimers-act", "Stabenow, Collins, Markey, Capito, Menendez Announce Senate Passage of Bipartisan Improving HOPE for Alzheimers ActRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bipartisan Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's Act passes Senate WASHINGTON,\r\nD.C. U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow\r\n(D-MI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Shelley MooreCapito(R-WV)and Bob Menendez (D-NJ)today announced Senate passage of the\r\nbipartisan Improving HOPE (Health, Outcomes, Planning, and Education) for\r\nAlzheimer's Act. Thanks to theirsuccessful bipartisan push in 2015, the Centers for Medicare and\r\nMedicaid Services announced in November 2016 that Medicare would begin covering\r\nnew care plans in 2017, effectively implementing the HOPE for Alzheimer's Act.\r\nThe Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's Act requires the Department of Health and\r\nHuman Services to conduct outreach to make more health care providers aware of\r\nthis important benefit and to report back on rates of utilization and barriers\r\nto access. Care plans are an important tool to ensure that\r\nthose living with Alzheimer's disease and their loved ones who help care for\r\nthem every day have the support they need to cope with this devastating\r\ndisease,said Senator\r\nStabenow.The Improving HOPE\r\nfor Alzheimer's Act will help make sure patients, their families, and their\r\nhealth care providers know about and can take advantage of the available\r\nresources.  \"It is imperative that those living with\r\nAlzheimer's disease and their families receive the resources they need,\r\nincluding information about treatment options and what medical and community\r\nservices are available, said Senator Collins. Fortunately, following\r\nour advocacy, CMS implemented a new rule in 2018 that allows Medicare\r\nbeneficiaries to receive a care planning session. Our legislation will expand\r\naccess to this service by increasing awareness of this policy change among\r\nphysicians. As the Co-Chair of the Senate Alzheimer's Task Force, I will\r\ncontinue to support those living with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers.  While we work towards the goal of finding a cure\r\nfor Alzheimer's by 2025, we must also ensure seniors with Alzheimer's get the best\r\ncare possible. Developing care plans that assist families, caregivers, and\r\nseniors understand diagnosis and available treatments helps make that happen.\r\nEnacting the Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's Act will mean more seniors will\r\nbenefit for these plans. This is an important step forward for those suffering\r\nfrom Alzheimer's, said Senator Markey.   Delivering accessible care to those struggling\r\nwith Alzheimer's is crucial to the foundation of our families and gives hope to\r\nour loved ones. Now that certain care plans are offered, we must make sure this\r\ninformation is properly relayed to eligible families. The HOPE for Alzheimer's\r\nAct successfully strengthens our outreach strategy and makes resources\r\navailable to those who need it most. I'm proud to have been part of this\r\nmovement since 2015 and that our legislation was included in the year-end\r\npackage, said Senator Capito.  I know how devastating it can be, not only for\r\nour loved ones struggling with Alzheimer's  like my mother did -- but for\r\nfamilies trying to understand how to provide the best care possible.\r\nAlthough we fought to provide patients and their caregivers important services\r\n like help in understanding a diagnosis, available treatments, and ways to\r\nmanage the challenges ahead -- far too many seniors and their doctors have no\r\nidea the benefit is available. I'm thrilled to see our bill enacted so we can\r\nchange that and ensure patients get the resources they need, said Senator\r\nMenendez.  Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading\r\ncause of death in the United States, and more than 16 million Americans provide\r\nunpaid care for people with Alzheimer's. The HOPE for Alzheimer's Act requires\r\nMedicare to pay for an individual care plan for newly diagnosed Alzheimer's\r\npatients. This benefit encourages doctors to give a clear diagnosis to patients\r\nwith Alzheimer's disease, including information about treatment options and\r\nwhat medical and community services are available.  In 2017, less than one percent of seniors living\r\nwith Alzheimer's disease received the care planning benefit created by the HOPE\r\nfor Alzheimer's Act. The Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's Act requires HHS to\r\nconduct outreach to health care practitioners about comprehensive Alzheimer's\r\ndisease care planning services, including education initiatives, and materials\r\non appropriate diagnostic evaluations and explanations of the requirements for\r\neligibility.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/stabenow-collins-markey-capito-menendez-announce-senate-passage-of-bipartisan-improving-hope-for-alzheimers-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6252030618488789, "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"}