American voters are willing to pay more to ensure access and want Congress to step in if Medicare continues restricting access to Alzheimer's treatments.
WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / October 10, 2024 / More than four in five voters (82%) favor requiring Medicare and other insurance companies to cover early Alzheimer's treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -- including 65% who strongly favor this policy even if it increases health insurance premiums -- according to a new poll conducted by Lake Research Partners and Public Opinion Strategies. Nearly three-fourths of voters (73%) would be willing to pay $5 more each month to make it happen.
"Voters agree that Medicare beneficiaries should have access to these medicines," said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners. "At their core, Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike believe that people with Alzheimer's shouldn't be treated any differently from those with other diseases. Few other issues show these levels of consensus and urgency amongst voters."
"The public also believes that it's wrong for Medicare to require that beneficiaries participate in clinical research as a condition of coverage for receiving these new Alzheimer's medicines," said Neil Newhouse, partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies. "It's remarkable that they're willing to pay more for insurance coverage if it helps expand access to novel therapies for people with Alzheimer's."
The poll was commissioned by the Alliance for Aging Research, UsAgainstAlzheimer's, and the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD).
Since April 2022, the Medicare program has required "coverage with evidence development" (CED) for all FDA-approved early Alzheimer's therapies. Under a CED, Medicare indiscriminately mandates that beneficiaries enroll in clinical studies for coverage of selected treatments, or else coverage will be denied. The program also imposes strict eligibility criteria on the health professionals and hospitals that can qualify to collect data and run the studies. The net effect is only a small fraction of Medicare beneficiaries have gotten access to the two current early Alzheimer's treatments available, Leqembi and Kisunla. No other FDA-approved drugs for on-label use in other diseases have been subject to CED. Other public and private payers have followed Medicare's lead, including TRICARE and Cigna. Several other private payers use complex guidelines to deter utilization.
The polling data shows voters - both Democrat and Republican - disagree with the CMS's restrictive policies:
92% of voters agree that Medicare should provide all beneficiaries access to FDA-approved Alzheimer's drugs, just as they do to FDA-approved drugs for all other diseases. 78% of voters strongly agree.
89% of voters agree that Medicare should immediately cover the costs of these FDA-approved Alzheimer's drugs. 77% strongly agree.
78% of voters agree that the government should not require patients to participate in medical research studies on any FDA-approved drug in order to get access to that drug. 65% strongly agree.
90% of voters agree that Medicare should cover all FDA-approved drugs and therapies for Alzheimer's disease and allow patients and their doctors to make decisions based on risks, benefits, and individual health needs. 77% strongly agree.
78% of voters agree that if Medicare does not act, Congress should step in to require that Medicare cover FDA-approved drugs and therapies that can slow the progression of early Alzheimer's disease. 65% strongly agree with congressional intervention.
58% of voters said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate for elected office if that candidate supported requiring Medicare to cover FDA-approved drugs and therapies that can slow the progression of early Alzheimer's disease. Just 3% of voters would be less likely to vote for them.
"The American people get that Medicare is a payer, and it's their job to cover and pay for FDA-approved medications, not to dictate clinical care. Voters know that doctors and families with Alzheimer's are more than capable of making treatment decisions based on risks, benefits, and individual health needs-and they'll vote for candidates who promise to make sure that happens,"said Sue Peschin, president and CEO of the Alliance for Aging Research. "They don't like what Medicare has done to restrict access to Alzheimer's treatments, and they want Congress and the President to step in if the agency doesn't change its ways."
"More than half of all Americans know someone who is living with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. This is a deeply personal issue for all Americans," said George Vradenburg, chairman and co-founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer's. "That's why people of all political persuasions are dismayed with Medicare's approach to Alzheimer's. This is the first time in history patients have had to jump through these tremendous hoops to gain Medicare access to FDA-approved drugs they need to live longer healthier lives. The American people clearly want Medicare to cover Alzheimer's medicines approved by FDA the same way cancer and other FDA-approved medicines are covered."
"People stand for fairness in Medicare coverage and reject Medicare's policies that erect barriers to treatment," said Ken Thorpe, Chair of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease. "The American people recognize the importance of quality time for patients and families navigating Alzheimer's and support policymakers who act to ensure access."
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For more information or to schedule an interview with a representative from any of the organizations named above, please contact John O'Connor at [email protected] or (202) 981-5042.
About the Survey
Lake Research Partners and Public Opinion Strategies designed and administered a phone survey of likely 2024 voters that was conducted August 26 to September 3, 2024, using professional telephone interviewers. A portion was also completed online, after part of the sample received a text to their cell phone with a link to complete the survey online. The survey reached a total of 1,400 likely 2024 voters nationwide which includes a base sample of 1,000 likely 2024 voters and oversamples of 100 Black voters, 100 Latino/a voters, and 200 voters across the following battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The oversamples were weighted down into the base sample to their proper proportions of the universe for a total sample size of 1,000. The margin of error is +/- 2.6%.
About the Alliance for Aging Research
The Alliance for Aging Research is the leading nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to changing the narrative to achieve healthy aging and equitable access to care. The Alliance strives for a culture that embraces healthy aging as a greater good and values science and investments to advance dignity, independence, and equity. The Alliance believes advances in research help people live longer, happier, more productive lives and reduce healthcare costs over the long term. For more information, visit agingresearch.org.
About the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is an internationally-recognized organization of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs: chronic disease. For more information, visit www.fightchronicdisease.org.
About UsAgainstAlzheimer's
UsAgainstAlzheimer's is engaged in a relentless pursuit to end Alzheimer's, the sixth leading killer in America. Our work centers on prevention, early detection and diagnosis, and access to treatments -- all regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity. To achieve our mission, we give voice to patients and caregivers while partnering with government, scientists, the private sector, and allied organizations -- the people who put the "Us" in UsAgainstAlzheimer's. For more information, visit UsAgainstAlzheimers.org.
SOURCE: Alliance for Aging Research