PASSED HOUSE: Pappas-Backed AADAPT Act to Improve Early Alzheimer's Detection and Care

The bipartisan Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Provider Training Act, or AADAPT Act, cosponsored by Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) passed the House last month.

The legislation strengthens and reauthorizes the Project ECHO program to help primary care providers better identify, diagnose, and manage Alzheimer's disease and other dementias—particularly in rural and underserved communities.

“The AADAPT Act will help primary care providers diagnose Alzheimer’s and other dementias and ensure they feel prepared to deliver the care patients need. I’m proud to stand with families and advocates in support of this legislation, which has now passed the House,” said Congressman Pappas. “We must continue to raise awareness, support individuals, families, and caregivers, and fight to advance research, treatment, and care.”

“New treatments and new diagnostic tools are transforming what is possible for people living with Alzheimer’s,” said Robert Egge, Alzheimer’s Association chief public policy officer and AIM president. “The AADAPT Act ensures that primary care providers across the country — especially in rural and underserved communities — have the resources they need to bring that progress to their patients. We thank the bipartisan champions of this legislation for helping make that possible.”

More than 7 million Americans—including 27,000 Granite Staters—are living with Alzheimer's disease, and those numbers are expected to continue rising in the coming years. Because primary care providers are often the first health care professionals patients see when memory loss or cognitive decline begins, expanding access to specialized training can help improve early diagnosis and patient outcomes.

The AADAPT Act reauthorizes and strengthens the Project ECHO program, which connects primary care providers with specialists through virtual training, mentorship, and case-based learning. The program helps equip providers with the knowledge and confidence to identify potential cognitive impairment earlier, improve care coordination, and expand access to quality dementia care in communities that may lack specialty providers.

Full text of the bill can be found HERE.