Why It Matters
The Alzheimer's Association filed a third-quarter 2026 lobbying disclosure through Miller Strategies LLC covering Alzheimer's detection, diagnosis, and treatment, centered on the Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act (ASAP Act) of 2025, which would allow Medicare to cover blood-based tests that detect early-stage Alzheimer's disease before symptoms appear. The House Energy and Commerce Committee ordered H.R. 6130 reported by a 40-0 vote on Sept. 16.
By the Numbers
The Alzheimer's Association spent $1,640,000 across all four registrants in the third quarter of 2026, up $460,000 from $1,180,000 in the third quarter of 2025 and down $370,000 from $2,010,000 in the second quarter of 2026. Third-quarter spend by registrant:
- Alzheimer's Association (in-house): $1,400,000
- Miller Strategies LLC: $110,000, up $30,000 from the second quarter of 2026
- Tarplin, Downs & Young LLC: $80,000
- Alston & Bird LLP: $50,000
The Miller Strategies team grew from four lobbyists in the second quarter of 2026 to eight, adding Steve Ruppel, Luke Wallwork, James Min, and Natalie McIntyre; returning lobbyists are Stefan Passantino, Jeff Miller, Shane Rose, and Ashley Gunn. Wallwork brings seven years and one month of House service, including time on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the panel that ordered H.R. 6130 reported. Natalie McIntyre served as legislative director for Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) from April to September 2024.
Broader Context
H.R. 6130 was introduced Nov. 19, 2025, by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16) and had 231 House cosponsors by the filing date; the Energy and Commerce Committee ordered it reported Sept. 16, by a 40-0 vote. The Senate companion, S. 3267, was introduced Nov. 20, 2025, by Sen. Susan M. Collins (R-ME), with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) among the original cosponsors; it had 51 cosponsors and was referred to the Senate Finance Committee, where no further action is shown. Both bills would allow Medicare to cover Food and Drug Administration-approved blood-based screening tests, analyzing proteins, genetic material, and other biomarkers to detect Alzheimer's disease before symptoms appear, starting Jan. 1, 2028, through its existing evidence-based coverage process rather than requiring coverage.
More than 525 organizations, researchers, and clinicians signed an August 2026 letter urging Congress to advance the ASAP Act, the Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act of 2025; the letter identifies the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Impact Movement, and LEAD Coalition as supporters, and its organizational signatories include the American Academy of Neurology, Biogen, Eli Lilly, Eisai, Genentech, Merck, Roche Diagnostics, and UsAgainstAlzheimer's. Supporters argue current law bars Medicare from covering screening tests for diseases that cause dementia; an Alzheimer's Impact Movement-commissioned survey reported that nine in 10 voters support Medicare coverage of such tests and 88% support the ASAP Act specifically.
A 2024 review in Nature Reviews Neurology, led by researcher Michelle M. Mielke, found blood-based Alzheimer's biomarkers have demonstrated clinical utility in well-characterized patients but cautioned that study populations may not represent typical primary-care patients, that chronic conditions can affect results, and that positive findings can be incidental.
Competitive Landscape
Other organizations listed as lobbying H.R. 6130 and S. 3267 include:
- UsAgainstAlzheimer's Action
- Eisai Inc.
- Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- DH Diagnostics LLC
- Alliance for Aging Research
The Bottom Line
The Alzheimer's Association's lobbying expenses totaled $4,880,000 over the past four quarters, and its listed lobbying firms include Miller Strategies LLC. The House Energy and Commerce Committee ordered H.R. 6130 reported 40–0 on September 16, while the bill record still lists its status as "Introduced"; its Senate companion, S. 3267, was referred to the Senate Finance Committee, with no later action shown.
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