NEW YORK, May 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Trump Administration released its proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2018, which makes deep cuts in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including a reduction of $294 million at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the primary government agency that coordinates federal research funding for Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, the budget calls for massive reductions in spending for Medicaid along with structural reforms which will allow states to impose more restrictive eligibility requirements. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, one quarter of adult Medicaid beneficiaries living in the community have dementia as well as half of all residents in nursing homes. The proposed restrictions could significantly limit their access to care.
“The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is a national organization dedicated to providing optimal care and services for individuals living with dementia and their families. On behalf of all people living with Alzheimer’s and related illnesses, AFA is profoundly concerned about the deep cuts proposed in President Trump’s federal budget for fiscal year 2018. This budget marks a significant step backward in our quest to find a cure for Alzheimer’s and will sharply curtail access to quality long term care services and supports,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president & CEO.
“In recent years, AFA has worked closely with other stakeholders and our allies in Congress to increase funding for dementia research and in making the defeat of Alzheimer’s disease a national priority. Earlier this year, AFA wrote to President Trump calling for $2 billion in annual funding for Alzheimer's disease research and the amount leading researchers say is needed to get us to a cure by 2025. The main goal of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease is to find a cure or modifying treatment by 2025. Only by making smart investments now in promising research can we expect to reach that goal. By sharply curtailing research funding, however, the President’s budget puts efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease at risk.
“AFA will redouble efforts with our Congressional champions to ensure the necessary funding to put this country on a viable pathway to a cure by 2025 as articulated in the national Alzheimer’s plan. In addition, AFA will work to make sure that until there is a cure, there will be access to the high quality care, services and supports that make a vital difference for people living with dementia and their family caregivers.”
Currently, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, yet it is the only disease in the top 10 causes of death for which there is neither a cure nor impactful treatment.
About Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA):
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a non-profit organization that unites more than 2,600 member organizations nationwide in the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals living with dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include a national, toll-free helpline (866-232-8484) staffed by licensed social workers, educational conferences and materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers, the National Memory Screening Program, and “AFA Partners in Care” dementia care training for healthcare professionals. For more information about AFA, call 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter, or connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn.