There is an urgent need to expand access to Alzheimer’s disease testing, Schaeffer Institute Founding Director Dana Goldman writes in an op-ed for RealClearHealth.
Goldman argues that new blood tests that detect Alzheimer’s disease earlier and more accurately will enable intervention at an earlier stage, better care planning, and more effective use of emerging therapies.
The op-ed highlights several policy-relevant implications:
- Early detection is now actionable: New treatments are most effective and safer in early-stage disease, making early diagnosis increasingly important.
- Testing expands access to care and trials: Earlier identification helps connect patients to appropriate therapies and clinical trials, which remain critical for discovering new treatments.
- Current underdiagnosis is a major gap: A large share of Americans with cognitive impairment remains undiagnosed, missing opportunities for intervention and support.
- Policy barriers persist: Medicare coverage limits, reimbursement gaps and limited clinical guidance risk slowing adoption just as the science is advancing.
The impact: Research shows that delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s by five years adds 2.7 years of life for patients. By 2050, such a delay could reduce the prevalence of the disease by 41% and lower total societal costs by roughly 40%.
Bottom line: Taken together, the piece underscores that federal policy—particularly around Medicare coverage for new diagnostics and treatments—will shape whether patients and families can access timely diagnosis and effective treatment when it matters most.
