Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Advisory Council

To the recommendations on the policy recommendations that we put forth last um during our last meeting again emphasis on public health strategy to drive risk reduction, brain health and or detection and diagnosis um under access and quality of care, um, Medicaid coverage for early detection, diagnosis and care planning services, and that's that billing code, um, uh, that CMS has already applied to the Medicare population. We are seeking to establish a Medicaid. Reimbursement for that benefit for our Medicaid population who are at risk for developing dementia. This was access to FDA approved treatments for Alzheimer's. This was an edit um suggested by the Arkansas Hospital Association that was specific to the FDA approved treatments for Alzheimer's, um, so I'll read this briefly. The FDA has approved two new therapies that target the underlying biology of Alzheimer's disease. It is crucial that patients in the early stages of the disease qualify. For these treatments have both physical and financial access to them. Um, the advisory council recommends that the state establish a transparent process for determining coverage of these and future FDA, um. The dementia training standards recommendation is the states made significant steps in equipping the health care workforce to meet the needs of the bench population, dementia training is critical, especially for care providers who are not connected to a major health system. Arkansas needs to continue this path to ensure the health care professionals across care settings are receiving access to the latest developments in research diagnostics, risk reduction, and care to improve patient outcomes, um, and then family caregiver support that consistent that recommendation. remains the same and that was to establish a permanent dementia respite care program. I'd like to put your attention to Appendix A from the Arkansas Department of Health. Um, you will note in front of you there is an amended or an edited appendix. There's no content changes within that report. It just was some formatting issues that were fixed, um, and so that, um, that, that updated appendix will need to go in that just kind of corrected. of those formatting issues, um, so at the appropriate time, um, Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion that we accept this appendix as amended. Is there a second to that? OK, all in favor say aye. Oh, I'm sorry. Did you have a question? Oh, OK. I thought you had a question. You want to opposed? OK, there you go. Pass can also look at Appendix A, the Department of Health, um, on the very last page, um, made a recommendation that I would like to uh at the appropriate time, make a motion that we adopt into the existing report this potential addition recommendation, um, is, uh, stated as it might be helpful to suggest physicians consider assessments on individuals who are at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer's-related dementia or individuals after they reach a certain age, much like the newly enacted law that requires providers to offer depression screening to women at the time of birth, um, or providing a higher rate of reimbursement for completing an assessment on an individual within certain categories, um I think this is a really good idea that we need to adopt into the um report as part of our policy recommendations, so I'd like to make a motion that we move, we keep this in the appendix. But we also adopted as a formal recommendation of the advisory council. Is there a second for that motion. Thank you, Stephanie. All in favor say aye. Anyone opposed? Motion passes. Appendix B is just the references to the Department of Human Services, um, most of what DHS's report entails is included into the existing advisory council interim reporting significant that we needed to incorporate in most of that is referenced at other places into the final report. So at the appropriate time, uh, Madam Chair, I'd make a motion that we adopt mention advisory council interim report. Uh, second on that. Kathy Griffin, say aye. Anyone opposed? There you go. Motion passes. OK. I think it was a great job. We're done, right? Any discussion unless there's any discussion or questions on the specific policy. I think, I think we are, we are conclude, oh, yes. So Madam Chair, I, I, I know that there's a lot of, there's multiple policy recommendations. So what, what are your next steps? Are you gonna get these, these policy recommendations drafted into a packet or the next step, first of all, by October 1st, we're supposed to put it in the hands of the governor and um house and, and Senate. I will be asking if we can bring it forth for discussion and, um, health committee as well as children aging and youth so we can continue to Involve more legislators, um, but if there are any, um, recommendations that, that you see here that you have extra interested and want to help us get through in the legislative session or any legislator wants to help in that way, I certainly would be open to that assistance as well as Senator Penzo, um, yes, David. I would just add, uh, Senator Love that there are, um, there are some things in Bill drafting right now that will be willing to share or. To share when those get back but we're working with the agencies on some of those bill draft drafts are finished, um, port, um, with, with some of these ideas, so, um, we welcome the ideas and it's in our hands next. So, um, appreciate you attending on a regular basis, um, legislators being here and um helping us form some of these ideas and making sure we get through the next session. Any other comments from anybody, um, with nothing else.