In 1991, Vermont’s legislature enacted legislation that established the Governor’s Commission on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders. The Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), in its efforts to design and develop the State Plan on Dementia, convened a subcommittee of the Governor’s Commission on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders and other aging network providers. This subcommittee was charged with providing guidance for the development of a plan to help state policymakers and stakeholders better understand how the estimated increase in people living with dementia will need to be met with a corresponding increase in resources; including caregivers, specialized care units, respite services and education. During 2007 and 2008, a State Plan on Dementia was developed. Soliciting feedback from community members, direct service providers, and families impacted by Alzheimer’s, the subcommittee published the Vermont State Plan on Dementia in 2009.

In 2022, the state released the 2022-2025 Vermont Action Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease, Related Dementias & Healthy Aging, led by the Vermont Health Department’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program and the State Unit on Aging at DAIL. More than 40 stakeholders, including the Vermont Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and Vermonters with Alzheimer's and their caregivers, were engaged in the process. The new state plan highlights goals that are in alignment with the National Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map and the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. These include enhancing public awareness and engagement; improving data to track progress; and accelerating action to reduce risk factors for dementia.

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 are 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.