President signs health legislation to combat Alzheimer's disease at close of 115th Congress
Upcoming Events
Related News
Key Takeaways
On December 31, President Trump signed into law the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (H.R. 4256/S. 2076), a bipartisan bill aimed at the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The NACo-supported bill authorizes $20 million annually for FY 2020 through FY 2024 to promote brain health activities under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program.
Once enacted, the legislation will create a nationwide public health infrastructure program to implement risk-reduction measures around Alzheimer’s disease. As part of this effort, the bill directs the CDC to establish Alzheimer’s Centers of Excellence at eligible organizations to increase awareness among health care professionals and assist public health departments implementing evidence-based practices that increase early detection and support care-planning for residents living with the disease.
Additionally, the Centers will be able to award cooperative agreement grants to public health departments and nonprofit organizations to improve program quality and data-reporting on Alzheimer’s. County health departments will be eligible to apply for these grants.
NACo supports increased federal resources for the prevention, treatment and care for individuals with Alzheimer’s, and signed letters of support for this bill to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. County leaders will continue to engage with congressional legislators to ensure counties have the resources to support the health and well-being of residents.
---
Click here to view the letter to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Click here to view the letter to the U.S. Senate.
Click here to view NACo’s 2019 legislative priorities.
Attachments
Related News
CMS announces grant awards to improve the continuity of care for justice-involved individuals
On September 27, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced $106.5 million in state planning grants aimed at improving healthcare continuity for individuals transitioning from incarceration.
SAMHSA releases new 2024 data on rates of mental illness and substance use disorder in the U.S.
On July 28, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released the findings of its annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which provides data on rates of substance use and mental illness at the national, state and local level.
Congress introduces bipartisan legislation to strengthen rural health care access and funding
Rural communities face unique health care challenges, from provider shortages to funding disparities. To address these concerns, the U.S. Senate recently introduced two bipartisan bills aimed at improving rural health care access and funding: the Rural Health Focus Act and the Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act.