Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) to help more primary care providers detect, diagnose, and care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

With more than 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and millions more caring for loved ones every day, primary care providers are often the first place families turn. In rural and underserved communities, specialists may be hours away.

“Every family facing Alzheimer’s deserves answers, quality care, and real support — no matter their ZIP code,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “Primary care providers are often the first line of defense, but too many lack access to the specialized training they need to detect and manage dementia. I’m proud to support this bipartisan bill to give providers the tools to identify Alzheimer’s earlier and deliver better care closer to home.”

The legislation would reauthorize the federal Technology-enabled Collaborative Learning Program through fiscal year 2031 and add dementia care to the program’s focus areas. The program supports telementoring models such as Project ECHO, which connect frontline providers with specialists to strengthen care in rural and underserved communities.

Goodlander has worked closely alongside New Hampshire Alzheimer’s advocates and brought their priorities to Congress. She is working to strengthen research, expand access to earlier diagnosis and quality care, and ensure caregivers receive the support they need and deserve.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

• After meeting with New Hampshire Alzheimer’s advocates, Goodlander publicly called for advancing the AADAPT and ASAP Acts, emphasizing that early detection and real support for families cannot wait.

• Goodlander cosponsored the bipartisan ASAP Act, which would provide Medicare coverage for qualifying blood-based dementia screening tests and help patients obtain earlier diagnoses.

• She helped introduce the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which would streamline prior authorization in Medicare Advantage so providers can spend more time caring for patients and less time navigating paperwork.

• Goodlander cosponsored the bipartisan CONNECT for Health Act, which would permanently expand Medicare telehealth access—an important tool for seniors and families who live far from specialty-care providers.

• Her broader rural-health record includes cosponsoring the bipartisan Rural Hospital Stabilization Act, supporting grants to help struggling rural hospitals remain open.

• Goodlander also cosponsored the bipartisan Community Paramedicine Act of 2025, which would support community-based paramedicine programs in rural areas.

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