During the past few weeks, the Alzheimer’s Association has been ramping up its efforts to make Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for early-stage Alzheimer’s accessible to all who can benefit. Advocates came together in all 50 states to rally for unrestricted access to these treatments, building on the momentum from the first rally for access during the AIM Advocacy Forum in Washington, D.C., and the subsequent rallies outside each of the 10 Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regional offices and the Health and Human Services (HHS) headquarters in May. 

The state rallies started in Michigan and wrapped up last week in Arizona, New Jersey and New Hampshire. Every state participated in the rallies for access, with advocates from across the nation making their voices heard in the crucial weeks before the FDA decides whether to grant traditional approval of Leqembi. Leqembi is a treatment for early-stage Alzheimer’s that has been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease during the earliest stages of the disease. On or before July 6, the FDA will make its decision. 

In June, CMS announced their conceptual approach to provide coverage for Alzheimer’s treatments that receive FDA traditional approval. In short, CMS plans to provide coverage only for patients whose doctors take part in registries that collect information on how the drugs are administered. 

We look forward to learning more details from CMS. But we believe a registry should not be required for coverage of an FDA-approved treatment. We continue to believe that all FDA-approved treatments should be covered today, with no unnecessary conditions or burdens.

The Alzheimer’s Association will continue to ensure CMS listens to the voices of our constituents calling for access to FDA-approved treatments for those living with early Alzheimer’s. Thank you to all of those who participated in the state rallies for access for your commitment to the Alzheimer’s community. We will not stop until everyone can count on the same coverage for Alzheimer’s treatments as they do for other diseases.

View highlights from the state rallies below, follow along online at #AccessNow and #MoreTime, and take action today by asking your member of Congress to ensure full access to FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatments.