Letters to the Editor

Letter: Rally for access

There has been progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s with new FDA-approved treatments, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) decided in a surprising decision not to cover these drugs, which cost approximately $26,000-$40,000 annually. Our friends and neighbors with dementia deserve treatment access, and cannot afford these drugs out of pocket.

I am an Alzheimer’s Association Alaska board member and the chair of our Rally for Access. On June 15 at 5:30 p.m., Alaskans will rally for access at the corner of 7th Avenue and F Street in Anchorage. Together, we’ll raise our voices to demand CMS stop blocking access to FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatments. This June 15th rally will build off the success of our Rally for Access at the White House in March, where Alaskans joined advocates from the other 49 states to call for treatment coverage. Please join us June 15th at 5:30 p.m. on the corner of 7th Avenue and F Street in Anchorage.

People living with Alzheimer’s are counting on us to get this decision reversed. Please join me on June 15!

— Cathy Hernandez

Anchorage

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