Klobuchar’s plan would help Alzheimer’s patients, caregivers
Published 10:47 am Saturday, July 13, 2019
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar has a new plan to help seniors that includes more support for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers.
It’s an issue that’s personal for the Minnesota senator, whose 91-year-old father is in a memory care facility.
The plan includes new funding for Alzheimer’s research and aims to develop a cure and treatment by 2025. Klobuchar would create a refundable tax credit to offset the costs of long-term care, whether it’s care at home or in a nursing facility.
Klobuchar’s campaign said Friday she would put between $100 billion and $150 billion toward the tax credit. The money would come from eliminating tax exemptions on some capital gains.
The plan includes measures Klobuchar has previously supported regarding Social Security and lowering prescription drug costs.
Alzheimer’s facts
• In 2018, total payments for health care, long-term care, and hospice for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are estimated to be $277 billion.
• In 2018, more than an estimated 16 million Americans are providing more than 18.4 billion hours of unpaid care for family and friends with Alzheimer’s other dementias. The total value of that care is about $232 billion.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention