Massachusetts State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview 

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In 2010, Governor Deval Patrick directed the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, in partnership with the Alzheimers Association Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter, to draft a state plan addressing Alzheimers disease within the state. In response, these two agencies convened an Advisory Committee that included families and individuals impacted by the disease as well as representatives from state and local health and human services agencies, councils on aging, academia, public safety agencies, and professional caregiver associations. Gathering public input, the Advisory Committee published the Massachusetts Alzheimers Disease and Related Disorders State Plan in February 2012. Following 2018 legislation (Chapter 220 of the Acts of 2018), a new State Alzheimers Plan was released in April 2021.

Massachusetts 2025 Policy Priorities

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Support a Dementia-Capable State Infrastructure 

Alzheimer’s prevalence is expected to increase 25% in Massachusetts over the next decade. To strengthen Massachusetts’s capability to support individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, a robust state government response is needed. Establishing a full-time Dementia Services Coordinator Position at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services dedicated to supporting dementia initiatives across the state can help mitigate the growing impact of the disease. The Alzheimer’s Association is urging state lawmakers to also establish the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Disease and All Other Dementias, ensure the collection and publication of dementia-specific data, require dementia-specific training for all first responders, and improve required plans for safe discharges from acute care hospitals for all individuals living with dementia. 

 

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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.

 

 

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Together, we’re making an impact. Find an Alzheimer’s Association chapter in your community for more ways to engage.

Contact Us

State Affairs Contact: Chelsea Gordon 

Phone: 617.393.2075

Email: [email protected]

135,200

people living with Alzheimer’s in Massachusetts

213,000

Bay Staters are providing unpaid care

$1.8 Billion

Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2020)

1,558

deaths from Alzheimer’s in 2021

23%

in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia

62.1%

increase of geriatricians in Massachusetts needed to meet the demand in 2050