HHS updated its national plan for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias this week, emphasizing prevention and earlier detection.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the update Oct. 22 at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Four things to know:
1. The 2026 update to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias moves the federal strategy toward prevention, earlier detection and faster development of diagnostics and treatments. It also places greater focus on lowering dementia risk across the lifespan.
2. The update replaces the plan’s six historical goals with four new ones:
- Reduce dementia risk across the lifespan.
- Speed up discovery and innovation in prevention and treatment.
- Improve dementia care from diagnosis through care transitions.
- Strengthen services and support for patients and families.
3. HHS has 10 agencies working on initiatives tied to the plan. The FDA launched an Alzheimer’s Prevention Accelerator, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health committed up to $48.8 million to projects on earlier detection and intervention. That brings ARPA-H’s total Alzheimer’s investment to as much as $155.3 million. HHS will also expand dementia training and screening in health centers and test a lifestyle intervention for beneficiaries with mild cognitive impairment.
“The human and financial costs of Alzheimer’s and dementia care are growing at unacceptable rates, and this updated national plan addresses both,” CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, said in an Oct. 22 news release.
4. HHS will track progress on each goal over the next year and report the results in its 2027 update.
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