The campaign season is over. The work of Congress is not. 

That’s why the ASAP Minute is back with a new episode. Lawmakers return to Washington for a short stretch before this Congress ends in early January, and what happens in these weeks will decide whether the ASAP Act becomes law or starts over. 

The stakes are real for families. Fewer than 10% of people living with mild cognitive impairment ever receive a diagnosis, so most people are not identified early enough to benefit from today’s FDA-approved treatments. Blood tests can now detect Alzheimer’s biomarkers before symptoms appear, but Medicare can’t cover any screening test for diseases that cause dementia. Only Congress can change that law. 

The ASAP Act would. It gives Medicare the authority to cover these tests through its existing evidence-based process, without mandating coverage. The bill is bipartisan, and it advanced through the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees this fall. 

Here is what makes this moment different. Congress typically uses these weeks to move one large spending package, and that package can carry bipartisan bills that have already cleared key steps. Inclusion isn’t guaranteed. In this week’s episode of the ASAP Minute, I explain how the process works and where you come in. 

▶ Watch Episode

Your members of Congress are making decisions now. Hearing from the people they represent is one of the most direct ways to shape those decisions, and it takes less than 10 minutes total. 

Call your two senators and your representative. Then ask three or more people you know to make the same calls.