Advocate Calls for Faster Alzheimer’s Diagnosis and Medicare Support to Aid Seniors

Drawing on personal loss to a grandmother with vascular dementia, the Florida Secretary of Elder Affairs turned advocacy into policy work. As chair of the federal Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services, she notes that delayed diagnosis—averaging three and a half years—limits patients’ benefit from emerging therapies. She recommends that Medicare require standardized cognitive screenings at initial and annual wellness visits and that Congress enact the ASAP Act to reimburse FDA-approved Alzheimer’s diagnostic tests.

The push follows a decade of research delivering blood-based tests, early-stage drugs, and lifestyle interventions that can slow cognitive decline. By modernizing detection and funding, she aims to give families more meaningful time with loved ones. The recommendations seek to bridge the gap between scientific advances and patient access.