YOUTUBE (The Hill) - Watch Now! Getting a Diagnosis ASAP: Progress in Early Alzheimer’s Detection
Until recently, a patient could not receive an Alzheimer’s diagnosis without an expensive scan or invasive procedure. Last year, the FDA cleared two blood-based biomarker tests—or BBB—that require only a routine blood sample for use in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease. This is an important step forward in Alzheimer’s care, but it won’t mean much to patients unless they are given affordable access to these tests. Right now, federal law prohibits the Medicare program from covering BBB tests without very specific constraints being met, such as a review from the little-known U.S. Preventative Services Task Force or an act of Congress. More than 7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, and a recent report found that over 90% of…
