Guthrie Blasts Biden Administration for Decision to Restrict Access to Alzheimer's Treatments

Statement

Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), who serves as Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee, released the following statement after the Biden Administration decided to finalize a National Coverage Determination that significantly restricts access to certain Alzheimer's treatments, including Aduhelm.

"CMS's decision to move forward with its plan to restrict access to a recently FDA-approved Alzheimer's treatment is a loss for Kentuckians living with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. This decision also has far-reaching consequences for Kentuckians who have not yet even developed the disease because it will have a chilling effect on future investments in finding potential treatments or cures for this vicious disease. I, along with many other Americans, pressed CMS to also drop their discriminatory proposal to limit access to clinical trials and therefore coverage for Americans with Down Syndrome and other medical conditions. While I am pleased to see the proposal that unfairly targeted these Americans was dropped, I am still disappointed with this restrictive coverage determination and will continue to use my position as the top Republican on the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee to push CMS to reverse their decision," said Guthrie.

Guthrie sent two letters to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to press the top health officials to reverse CMS's National Coverage Determination (NCD) proposal.

This finalized National Coverage Determination severely limits Medicare beneficiaries' access to certain Alzheimer's treatments, including Aduhelm, by only providing coverage of these Alzheimer's treatments to Medicare beneficiaries participating in a randomized Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), or CMS-approved clinical trial. In the original proposal, these trials would have not allowed Americans with Down Syndrome and other medical conditions to participate, therefore limiting their ability to access these Alzheimer's treatments.

Guthrie along with other Members of Congress in a February 8, 2022, letter wrote, "[I]t is extremely concerning and unacceptable that the proposed NCD appears entirely to exclude Americans with Down Syndrome from any form of coverage through these trials for Aduhelm and any future amyloid-related treatments."

Click HERE to read more about the two letters Guthrie joined to encourage CMS to drop this coverage decision on Alzheimer's treatments.

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