Alzheimer’s disease is no longer a distant threat affecting only a small segment of the population. It is a growing national crisis that touches nearly every American family in some way.
An estimated 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s today. Without significant medical breakthroughs, that number could reach nearly 14 million by 2060. Alzheimer’s ranked as the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States in 2024, and the disease still has no cure.
Millions of spouses, children, relatives, and friends become unpaid caregivers, often sacrificing their careers, financial stability, and emotional well-being to care for someone experiencing cognitive decline. Alzheimer’s does not simply rob individuals of their memories. Over time, it can take away independence, dignity, and the ability to connect with the people they love.
Health and long-term care costs for Americans living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are projected to reach $409 billion in 2026. That figure does not include unpaid caregiving. In 2025, nearly 13 million Americans provided more than 19 billion hours of unpaid dementia care valued at more than $446 billion. Medicare, Medicaid, families, and employers all bear significant portions of this growing burden.
The good news is that researchers have developed FDA-approved therapies that target amyloid in the brain and can slow cognitive decline in some patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. The Food and Drug Administration has also cleared the first blood test intended to help diagnose Alzheimer’s in certain patients with symptoms of cognitive decline, opening the door to less invasive and potentially more accessible diagnostic options.
This progress matters because early diagnosis can change lives. Patients who learn earlier that they are developing Alzheimer’s may be able to begin treatment sooner, participate in clinical trials, make important healthcare and financial decisions, and preserve their independence for longer. Families gain precious time to prepare, seek support, and adapt.
Despite these advances, far too many Americans still face major barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and specialized care. Many communities do not have enough neurologists, geriatricians, or dementia specialists. Coverage policies vary among insurers, and Medicare continues to require participation in qualifying studies or registries for certain anti-amyloid treatments. Promising advances mean little to patients if the healthcare system cannot deliver them.
That is why America needs a coordinated national Alzheimer’s initiative. Such an initiative would do more than improve health outcomes. It would strengthen families, reduce future healthcare spending, protect economic productivity, and reaffirm America’s leadership in medical innovation.
First, the federal government must unleash American innovation by expanding investment in Alzheimer’s research and creating efficient, scientifically rigorous regulatory pathways for promising therapies and diagnostic tools. The United States should lead the world in developing treatments, diagnostics, and preventive strategies for Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Second, policymakers should make brain health and risk reduction national priorities. Research continues to examine the relationship between dementia risk and physical activity, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, sleep, diet, and other lifestyle factors. Although more evidence is needed before anyone can guarantee prevention, Americans should have access to reliable information and programs that help them protect both their physical and cognitive health.
Third, our healthcare system must prioritize timely and accurate diagnosis. Patients have a right to know critical information about their own health. Expanding appropriate access to cognitive assessments, specialist evaluations, and validated blood-based diagnostics would allow more Americans to seek intervention when treatment is most likely to help.
Finally, there must be a level playing field when it comes to access. FDA approval should be the beginning of patient access, not the end of the conversation. Medicare and private insurers should regularly reevaluate their policies as clinical evidence develops. A patient’s income, ZIP code, or distance from a major medical center should not determine whether that person can receive a potentially life-changing diagnosis or treatment.
In Texas, lawmakers and voters have already demonstrated what bold leadership can look like.
As a former speaker of the Texas House and the House sponsor of Senate Bill 5 during the 89th Texas legislature, I was proud to help advance the creation of the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. SB 5 established the statutory framework for an institute dedicated to accelerating innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and related disorders.
Texas voters subsequently agreed and approved Proposition 14, authorizing a $3 billion dementia prevention and research fund. The initiative was designed to support as much as $300 million in grants annually over a decade, creating the potential to attract leading scientists, research institutions, and biotechnology companies to Texas.
The significance of this initiative extends far beyond Texas. By creating an institution focused specifically on prevention, innovation, and treatment, our state acknowledged an important reality: Addressing dementia means confronting Alzheimer’s disease head-on. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, and advances in Alzheimer’s research can strengthen the broader fight against cognitive decline.
ADVANCEMENTS IN ALZHEIMER’S CARE ONLY MATTER IF PATIENTS CAN ACCESS THEM
Texas lawmakers understood that waiting for this crisis to worsen was not an option. Our state’s commitment sends a powerful message that Alzheimer’s deserves the same urgency and coordinated response America has historically brought to cancer, heart disease, and other major public health threats.
Now Washington must follow that example.
Tom Craddick is the former speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and state representative for House District 82.