In Plan To Help America’s Seniors, Amy Klobuchar Addresses Alzheimer’s, Drug Costs And Long-Term Care
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a 2020 hopeful, announced her proposal ahead of an AARP/Des Moines Register forum in Des Moines. "I believe we owe it to our seniors to make sure they have the care and support they need as they get older, and as president, I will prioritize tackling Alzheimer鈥檚, strengthening health care and retirement security, and reducing prescription drug costs," Klobuchar said.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Friday released a multifaceted plan to improve care for seniors 鈥 including lowering prescription drug costs, strengthening retirement funds and Social Security benefits, and investing in long-term treatments. Building on her leadership in the Senate, according to a statement outlining the plan, Klobuchar would 鈥渃ontinue to stand up for our seniors and the 10,000 Americans who turn 65 each day.鈥 (Dugyala, 7/12)
Klobuchar鈥檚 proposal, which is also designed to invest in research for a cure for Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and improving the stability of Social Security, would allow the government to negotiate Medicare Part D costs, which cover prescriptions for seniors. Klobuchar, a U.S. senator from Minnesota, would also allow people to order prescription drugs from countries like Canada, a proposal proponents say would lower costs. (Gibson, 7/12)
Klobuchar's plan calls for "expanding resources" and financial support to the caregivers of those living with Alzheimer's disease -- the most common form of dementia -- as well as an expansion of the Medicare-covered-services for the disease. The plan would also "fully implement" legislation that helps families locate missing people with Alzheimer's or developmental disabilities and promises "reliable and consistent" funding for dementia research. "Senator Klobuchar will commit to preventing, treating and facilitating a cure for Alzheimer's disease, with the goal of putting us on a path toward developing a cure and treatment by 2025," the news release states. (LeBlanc, 7/12)
Along with three other presidential candidates, Klobuchar will appear at an AARP/Des Moines Register forum in Des Moines to address issues of importance to older voters. Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, has a history of Alzheimer's disease in her family and has championed various bills related to the ailment, or its symptoms. In 2017, she co-sponsored a bill with U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa,聽designed to boost training to help people who may wander from safety as part of their condition. (Coltrain, 7/12)
