Washington, D.C., March 10, 2026 — The Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) stand in strong support of the Senate’s reintroduction of the bipartisan Accelerating Access to Dementia & Alzheimer’s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act. The bill, also reintroduced in the House, aims to improve diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other dementias and deliver high-quality, person-centered care in both urban and rural communities.
“Only half of those living with Alzheimer’s disease have a diagnosis, and depending on where they live, patients can face significant delays in receiving one,” said Robert Egge, Alzheimer’s Association chief public policy officer and AIM president. “The bipartisan AADAPT Act will expand access to early diagnosis and quality dementia care while also reducing geographic barriers and the cost of care. We commend Congress for reintroducing this bipartisan legislation that will support the Alzheimer’s and dementia community.”
Introduced by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the AADAPT Act would authorize grants for providers participating in structured virtual education programs focused on Alzheimer’s and dementia care. These programs would strengthen providers’ skills in detection, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care by offering free, remote continuing education led by dementia care experts. These programs will also help engage rural and medically underserved areas, where primary care providers often face the greatest strain and many cases are undiagnosed.
Timely, accurate diagnoses can improve quality of life for the more than 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s. Additionally, 85% of initial diagnoses are made by primary care providers who lack specialized dementia training and support, and most report they do not feel prepared to provide care for those diagnosed because they are not dementia specialists. These overburdened providers frequently struggle to access up-to-date, patient-centered dementia care education.
“Physicians, particularly in rural areas, need the most up-to-date information and resources to serve those facing dementia in their communities,” said Egge. “The AADAPT Act provides this access to rural communities and is critically important to ensuring American families receive an accurate and timely diagnosis so they can benefit from the significant progress made in dementia research over the last decade."
