{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://youngkim.house.gov/2025/12/17/rep-young-kim-leads-bill-to-improve-care-for-young-onset-alzheimers-disease/", "Rep. Young Kim Leads Bill to Improve Care for Young-Onset Alzheimer\u2019s Disease", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "CA", "Young Kim", "K000397", "youngkim.house.gov", "youngkim", "https://youngkim.house.gov/media/press-releases/", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) introduced the BRIDGE for Young-Onset Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Act of 2025 to expedite access to Medicare coverage for individuals battling young-onset Alzheimer\u2019s disease (YOAD).\n\nYOAD refers to any stage of dementia diagnosed before the age of 65. Nearly 1 in 1,000 Americans between ages 30 and 64 are affected, and the roughly 200,000 individuals living with Young-Onset Alzheimer\u2019s Disease face significant vulnerabilities\u2014particularly when government delays hinder timely access to care.\n\n\u201cA diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer\u2019s is devastating enough \u2014 families shouldn\u2019t be forced to wait months for the care they need now,\u201d said Rep. Young Kim. \u201cThe BRIDGE for Young-Onset Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Act eliminates unnecessary bureaucratic delays so patients can access Medicare coverage immediately. This commonsense fix puts patients and families first when every moment matters.\u201d\n\n\u201cThese waiting periods have caused patients to suffer because they cannot access the care they need without the support of Social Security Disability Insurance to immediately access Medicare coverage,\u201d said Rep. Don Bacon. \u201cThis legislation will provide not only relief to those with Young Onset Alzheimer\u2019s Disease, but to their families and caregivers as well.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor people with young-onset Alzheimer\u2019s, any delay in care leaves families with less effective treatments as they face the cruel progression of this terrible disease,\u201d said Congressman Dan Goldman. \u201cThe arbitrary 29-month waiting period for benefits and health coverage is often an insurmountable barrier to quality care, which is unacceptable. I\u2019m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to ensure timely access to care for people with young onset Alzheimer\u2019s.\u201d\n\n\u201cAlzheimer\u2019s does not wait, and neither should access to disability insurance benefits and Medicare coverage for individuals with younger-onset Alzheimer\u2019s. The bipartisan BRIDGE Act for Young-Onset Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Act of 2025 will make sure individuals with younger-onset Alzheimer\u2019s get timely access to care,\u201d said Robert Egge, Alzheimer\u2019s Association chief public policy officer and Alzheimer\u2019s Impact Movement (AIM) president. \u201cThis is a critical step toward meeting the needs of families living with this disease. We are grateful to the bipartisan leaders who introduced this bill and look forward to working together to advance it.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo one should be denied timely access to care simply because of their age,\u201d said Jim Taylor, CEO of Voices of Alzheimer\u2019s. \u201cThe BRIDGE for Young-Onset Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Act will ensure that individuals diagnosed before age 65 aren\u2019t left without coverage from the very moment early intervention could slow disease progression. We\u2019re deeply grateful to our congressional sponsors for championing this critical reform and standing with families racing against Alzheimer\u2019s.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis legislation gives people like me and thousands of others the chance to access the treatments and care we desperately need when we need it,\u201d said Jennifer Puebla, Mission Viejo, CA resident and care partner to Kevin, 52, who is living with Young-Onset Alzheimer\u2019s Disease. \u201cCongress must act now to end this waiting period and put health and dignity first.\u201d\n\nThe BRIDGE for YOAD Act of 2025 reduces government delays and improves healthcare access for individuals with young-onset Alzheimer\u2019s disease by:\n\nAmending title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the waiting period for disability insurance benefits; and\n\nWaiving the 29-month waiting period for Medicare coverage\n\nThis legislation has been endorsed by the Voices of Alzheimer\u2019s, Alzheimer\u2019s Impact Movement, and the Alzheimer\u2019s Association.", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "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://youngkim.house.gov/2025/12/17/rep-young-kim-leads-bill-to-improve-care-for-young-onset-alzheimers-disease/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2517417781054974, "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"}