AFTD joined nearly 150 organizations and individuals in a letter penned by the Alliance for Aging Research urging congressional leaders to reject proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

These cuts would have a significant impact on the well-being of families affected by FTD, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias, the letter argues.

Medicaid and SNAP Help Offset the Steep Costs of Dementia Care

Having dementia is extremely expensive in the United States. Not only do persons diagnosed eventually have to forgo their career – and their income — because of their illness, their family members often stop working to provide care. And the specialist visits, medical tests, and medications to alleviate symptoms are often not cheap, and add up quickly.

Compared to more common dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease, FTD is even costlier. A landmark study funded and co-written by AFTD showed that the average annual economic burden of FTD is approximately $120,000 – roughly twice the economic burden associated with Alzheimer’s

As the letter notes, many people facing dementia rely on Medicaid to pay for a huge range of services, including home care, acute care services, in-home physical and occupational therapy, adult day care programs, and wheelchairs and other equipment for people with mobility challenges. In some states, Medicaid provides vision, dental, and hearing coverage, the only way some diagnosed people can receive this care.

Meanwhile, SNAP offers additional support to financially vulnerable families living with dementia. SNAP “is a valuable resource for those who qualify who suffer from [dementia], ensuring that they can access healthy food and do not go hungry,” the letter says. SNAP can also be used for programs like Meals on Wheels, which can provide food and social interaction for people diagnosed and care partners who cannot leave their house as often. Wholesale cuts would profoundly harm families facing dementia, the letter states.

Read the full letter at the Alliance for Aging Research website. You can also see other letters AFTD has signed in support of on AFTD’s Advocacy Action Center.