House sends bill to governor to create state Alzheimer's Office
Legislation companion to Madden bill that passed House in June
Rep. Maureen E. Madden October 8, 2024 | 3:40 PM
HARRISBURG, Oct. 8 – A full-time state office dedicated to supporting dementia initiatives across Pennsylvania would be created under legislation that is headed to the desk of Gov. Josh Shapiro, according to House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee Majority Chair Maureen Madden.
“There are over 280,000 Pennsylvanians 65 or older living with Alzheimer’s disease. For too long, our seniors living with ADRD have not been prioritized. An Alzheimer’s Disease Planning Committee was created by executive order in 2013, and yet, Pennsylvania has very little to show from that effort. We can and must do better for our seniors and the loved ones who care for them,” said Madden, D-Monroe.
Senate Bill 840, which passed the House of Representatives today, would create a permanent Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Office and establish a 28-member advisory committee, both within the state Department of Aging, to coordinate across state agencies, advocate policy and leverage resources to better respond to the unique and complex needs of those living with Alzheimer's and other dementia disorders and the systems that support them.
By 2025, the number of Pennsylvanians living with Alzheimer’s is expected to increase to 320,000 with the total Medicaid costs to care for them expected to increase by over 10%.
“Multiple government agencies administer programs and initiatives that are critical to people living with dementia, but these are predominately siloed with multiple state agencies working separately from one another. A coordinated, interdepartmental approach that incorporates a broad spectrum of public-private partnerships is necessary to address the multi-faceted challenges of this disease effectively and efficiently,” Madden said.
The Senate bill is the companion to her H.B. 2400, which passed the state House in June but sat idle in the Senate.
“As majority chair of the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee, I welcomed the opportunity to work with legislative leaders and stakeholders to get this bill across the finish line,” she said.
Having already passed the state Senate, the bill moves to the governor’s desk.