Rep. Vasquez Votes to Expand Access to Preventive and Diagnostic Care for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On June 24, 2026 - during Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month - U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) supported legislation that would combat Alzheimer's disease by expanding access to preventive and diagnostic healthcare under Medicare. Over 46,000 New Mexicans are currently living with Alzheimer's, and 68,000 New Mexicans provide uncompensated care for loved ones living with the disease.

Under current law, Medicare can cover a limited array of diagnostic tests and preventive services related to Alzheimer's and dementia, but some screenings and blood tests are excluded. The bipartisan Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act would expand Medicare coverage for FDA-approved blood tests that can help detect Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia earlier, which would shorten the time to diagnosis and reduce costs for New Mexicans. Early detection gives New Mexicans valuable time to begin treatment, make informed decisions, and lean on loved ones and support services.

"Over 46,000 New Mexicans are currently grappling with Alzheimer's, and most of us have seen this disease's devastating impact firsthand with our own loved ones or members of our community," said Vasquez. "Early detection is our best tool when it comes to combating Alzheimer's, and this Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness month, I'm supporting bipartisan legislation to make Alzheimer's treatment and prevention more affordable and accessible for hardworking folks."

Vasquez also supports the Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer's Provider Training (AADAPT) Act, which gives primary care providers additional tools and training to accurately and confidently diagnose Alzheimer's and other dementias. This bill will educate primary care providers, including those in rural and underserved communities where speciality care can be out of reach, on the necessary steps to diagnose individuals experiencing cognitive decline.

These bills honor the 46,000 New Mexicans living with Alzheimer's disease by paving the way for accessible preventative care, and they build on Rep. Vasquez's work to cut down costs and expand access to healthcare, including:

• Consistently opposing efforts to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and ensuring seniors have access to the benefits they have earned and quality, affordable healthcare
• Introducing the Careworkers Visa Act to bring down the cost of in-home healthcare and eldercare by creating a new legal visa pathway for qualified careworkers, curbing crippling workforce shortages as the population ages
• Supporting the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act to make it easier for New Mexicans to see the doctors and specialists they need by increasing the health care workforce
• Cosponsoring the Protecting Healthcare and Lowering Costs Act to reverse devastating health care cuts in the Republican tax law and permanently extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits
• Championing the Rural Health Care Facilities Revitalization Act, aiding rural health centers to improve equipment and services
• Voting to slash prescription drug costs, expand coverage for seniors, and ensure price transparency by passing the bipartisan Lower Costs, More Transparency Act

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