By Joe Besnard
On September 16, 2026, the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously passed the ASAP Act, the Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan and New York Rep. Paul Tonko, with a companion bill in the Senate.
The bill would let Medicare cover FDA-approved or FDA-cleared blood tests that screen for Alzheimer's and related dementias. Today, Medicare can't cover dementia screening for people who don't yet have symptoms.
Why it matters
In August, the FDA cleared a new blood test that helps doctors check for Alzheimer's-related changes with a simple blood draw (I wrote about it here). A test like that only helps if people can actually get it. Medicare coverage would put an early check within reach for millions of seniors, and catching it early gives you more options and more time to plan.
The bill still has to pass the full House and the Senate. As a board member of the Alzheimer's Association Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, I'll share updates here as it moves. If you'd like to add your voice, the Alzheimer's Association's advocacy site, AlzImpact.org, makes it easy to contact your members of Congress.
This post is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Always talk with your own doctor or a qualified healthcare professional about diagnosis, screening and treatment.
