Can Alzheimer’s Follow Kidney Care?

President Trump signed an executive order last week to modernize kidney-disease treatment for the first time in decades, a move that could reduce spending and improve treatment for one of the country's most pervasive illnesses. Citing the many millions of Americans suffering chronic kidney disease and kidney failure, the EO required Medicare to test different payment models encouraging a range of options that will improve patients’ lives and maybe even save some money.

The exact same thing could be done for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, where the numbers of patients are even greater and escalating fast. Even while we wait for a pharmaceutical breakthrough, there are innovations with proven value in slowing disease progression, and a number of models have been tested that improve patient and caregiver outcomes, by managing comorbidities, reducing related health care costs like unnecessary ER visits, and supporting caregivers. If we use the NIH-identified validated cognitive impairment detection tools early, not only could we enroll patients into such models, we could identify patients earlier for the much-needed clinical trials in Alzheimer’s.

Taking nothing away from kidney patients, but after the work done by NAPA and every related federal agency, I’d like to ask – Why is it taking so long to get Alzheimer’s the attention it so urgently deserves?

Saira Sultan is the President and CEO of Connect 4 Strategies, a reimbursement, market access and advocacy firm. These views are her own, and do not reflect those of her clients.