Ohio State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview 

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Following the enactment of S.B. 24 in 2019, Ohio formed the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementias Task Force to create Ohio’s first State Alzheimer’s Plan. The Task Force was charged with conducting a needs assessment and examining opportunities around public health, early detection and diagnosis, workforce, home and community-based services and quality of care. 

Ohio 2024 Policy Priorities

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Improve Access to Biomarker Testing 

With the historic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of treatments that slow the progression of Alzheimer’s in the early stages, early detection and diagnosis is even more critical to ensure individuals receive the most benefit at the earliest point possible. Biomarkers offer one of the most promising paths to improve dementia detection, diagnosis and treatment. Yet these critical tests remain out of reach for many as insurance coverage is failing to keep pace with innovations and advancements in treatments. The Alzheimer’s Association is urging state lawmakers to expand insurance coverage of comprehensive biomarker testing. Without this legislation, dementia diagnoses may take up to two years, increasing the long-term costs to the individual, family and the state.

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Incorporate Dementia into Public Health Campaigns  

236,000 Ohioans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and many are living with another chronic disease, such as heart disease or diabetes. With one of the highest rates of chronic conditions in the country, Ohioans need to be aware of opportunities for risk reduction, utilizing brain health to improve their own health and recognizing cognitive changes in their loved ones. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state policymakers to pass legislation requiring the inclusion of risk reduction and brain health messages in existing public health campaigns across the state.

Find My Chapter

Together, we’re making an impact. Find an Alzheimer’s Association chapter in your community for more ways to engage.

Contact Us

State Affairs Contact: Trey Addison

Phone: 614.549.6735

Email: [email protected]

236,200

people living with Alzheimer’s in Ohio

414,000

Ohioans are providing unpaid care

$2.5 Billion

Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2020)

4,947

deaths from Alzheimer’s in 2021

17%

in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia

614 Million

increase of geriatricians in Ohio needed to meet the demand in 2050