America has an Alzheimer’s problem, devastating families and driving soaring healthcare costs.
More than 7 million people over 65 years old live with Alzheimer’s dementia today, a number predicted to double by 2050. Costs are staggering, by some estimates over $1 trillion per year, which may climb to $3 trillion by 2050, or 10% of our current GDP.
We poured $250 billion of taxpayer money into Alzheimer’s and related dementia in 2025, nearly all of it through Medicare and Medicaid for health and long-term care payments. Over $4 billion went to scientific research, mostly through the National Institutes of Health.
