Maine State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview
In June 2011, Maine’s legislature commissioned a state task force with the enactment of LD 859, calling for a study of the impact of Alzheimer's disease and the creation of a guide to help the state meet the needs of individuals and families impacted by this disease. The task force included representatives from elder law, community organizations, state agencies, academia, and law enforcement as well as caregivers, individuals living with the disease, state legislators, and health care providers. After soliciting public feedback, the task force published the State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias in Maine in June 2012. Following receipt of a federal BOLD grant, Maine used the 2018-2023 Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map as a guide in developing a set of recommendations for the next state plan. In October 2023, the state issued 2022-2027 Maine State Plan—Maine Reaching for the Summit: Addressing Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.
Maine 2024 Policy Priorities
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.
Establish a Dementia Advisory Council
Maine is home to over 29,000 individuals living with Alzheimer’s and 51,000 unpaid caregivers. Coordination and collaboration among state agencies and external stakeholders is critical to effectively address the growing prevalence of this disease. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on state lawmakers to establish a Dementia Advisory Council that will be responsible for monitoring and updating the Alzheimer’s State Plan to ensure Maine is committed to addressing this public health crisis.
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29,600
people living with Alzheimer’s in Maine
51,000
Mainers are providing unpaid care
$212 Million
Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2020)
539
deaths from Alzheimer’s in 2021
19%
in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia
97.2%
increase of geriatricians in Maine needed to meet the demand in 2050
Resources to Drive Change in Maine
The following resources developed by AIM and the Alzheimer’s Association will help you learn more about the issues impacting people living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, how Maine policymakers are addressing these gaps, and how you can help drive change.