Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that afflicts 5.4 million Americans, slowly robbing them of their memory and their dignity. It is also the most expensive disease in our country, costing an estimated $236 billion this year alone. By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is set to nearly triple. And the costs are projected to more than quadruple to $1.1 trillion.

The federal government has launched a National Alzheimer’s Plan, which aims to have an effective treatment by 2025. But the money is simply not there to support this goal. Last year, Washington committed $5.4 billion to cancer research, about $1.2 billion to heart disease and $3 billion to HIV/AIDS. Research funding for Alzheimer's was only about $566 million. We will not discover a treatment, or eventual cure, without more dedicated funds for Alzheimer’s.

Congress must increase funding for Alzheimer’s research by at least an additional $400 million next year if we are to have any hope of beating back this epidemic.

For every $100 that the National Institutes of Health spends on Alzheimer’s research, Medicare and Medicaid spend $16,000 caring for those with the disease. If we do not do everything in our power to find a cure, this could be the disease that bankrupts the health care system.

In order to slow the growth of this horrible disease and its effects on our health care system, we must take bold steps now. Sign this petition calling on Congress to increase funding for Alzheimer’s research by an additional $400 million for the 2017 fiscal budget. The funding will help us realize our vision of a world without Alzheimer’s.