While many Americans are familiar with the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s disease, few understand the cruel disparity with which it strikes. Black Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with this mind-robbing disease and bear the greatest costs of caring for loved ones suffering with it.
Alzheimer’s was historically diagnosed based on symptoms, and only confirmed with an autopsy. That has changed over the past 10 years, thanks to diagnostic tests to confirm the disease with brain scans. While these technologies can make a tremendous difference in treatment plans for people with Alzheimer’s, outdated government policies restrict access to them. That needs to change — and fast.
The Biden administration has initiated a review of Medicare coverage for a specific type of advanced diagnostic technology called positron emission tomography, or PET scans. These scans detect amyloid plaques in the brain, a telltale early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Such plaques can form in the brain up to 20 years before the onset of symptoms like memory loss. PET scans are a crucial tool for physicians to accurately diagnose the disease, and treat it accordingly.
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