The Alzheimer's Association publicly called on President Bush to dramatically increase Alzheimer's research funding at the National Institutes of Health.

"There is a health care disaster looming on the horizon that only the President and Congress can prevent," said Bonnie Hogue of the Alzheimer's Association. "The U.S. health care system is about to implode, and Alzheimer's disease will be the detonator. Alzheimer's is an epidemic that is already driving costs out of control."

The Alzheimer's Association urged the President to:

• Provide $1 billion for Alzheimer research at the National Institutes of Health, to reduce dramatically the numbers of people with Alzheimer's in the future and to lessen the disabling impact of the disease for those who get it.
• Direct Medicare resources to chronic care, including meaningful prescription drug coverage, to prevent the acute care crises and excess disability that are driving health care costs today.
• Maintain the Medicaid long term care safety net while expanding options and supports for family-centered home and community based care.
  

Other sources: Alzheimer's Association