The Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act would accelerate access to earlier dementia blood test screening for Medicare beneficiaries
Washington, D.C., Nov. 20, 2025 — The Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) applaud the Senate’s bipartisan introduction of the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act today. The ASAP Act, which was introduced in the House yesterday, would create a pathway for Medicare coverage of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and cleared blood-based dementia screening tests. This important legislation will accelerate access to blood biomarker tests for screening and earlier detection of Alzheimer’s and other dementia.
“The ASAP Act is a vital step toward earlier detection and better care. By creating a pathway for Medicare coverage of blood biomarker tests, this legislation will help millions access timely diagnoses and treatments,” said Robert Egge, Alzheimer’s Association chief public policy officer and AIM president. “We are deeply grateful to Sens. Collins, Cortez Masto, Capito and Warner for their leadership.”
Introduced by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), the bipartisan ASAP Act would create the authority for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to cover routine blood-based dementia screening tests, and future test methods approved by the FDA, so beneficiaries do not face needless delays or roadblocks to detection and treatment.
Importantly, the legislation would also maintain the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) authority to use its evidence-based process to determine coverage parameters for new screening tests as they are developed and approved.
By providing a faster, more accessible way to screen for Alzheimer’s and other dementias, these future routine tests can help primary care providers identify at-risk dementia patients earlier, allowing specialists to focus their time and expertise on those who need advanced evaluation and treatment. The bipartisan ASAP Act will not only improve patient care, but also help facilitate smoother transitions from primary care to specialists — reducing the burden on overextended health care workers and helping to alleviate bottlenecks in the health care system.
