This bill mandates that group health plans, individual health insurance coverage, and the Medicaid program provide benefits for Alzheimer's biomarker testing. The legislation defines Alzheimer's biomarker testing broadly to include analysis of tissue, blood, or other biospecimens for biomarkers, encompassing various advanced testing methods. These tests must be covered when used for purposes such as early detection, risk stratification, diagnosis, treatment, management, or monitoring of Alzheimer's disease, in accordance with FDA indications, national coverage determinations, or clinical practice guidelines. The bill establishes specific requirements for how this coverage must be provided. It stipulates that financial requirements and treatment limitations for Alzheimer's biomarker testing cannot be more restrictive than those applied to other medical and surgical benefits. Furthermore, plans must ensure timely prior authorization determinations, with requests considered approved if not acted upon within 72 hours, or 24 hours in urgent cases. To promote access, the bill prohibits the application of step therapy requirements for these tests and requires benefits to be provided in a manner that supports equitable access, particularly for rural and underserved populations, and encourages minimally invasive testing. Both private insurance and Medicaid coverage requirements will take effect one year after the bill's enactment. Additionally, the legislation directs the National Institutes of Health to commission an annual study and report to Congress for three years on the value of biomarker testing in detecting and treating Alzheimer's disease.
Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better
Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Health
Alzheimer’s Early Detection Act of 2026
USA119th CongressHR-9823| House
| Updated: 7/22/2026
This bill mandates that group health plans, individual health insurance coverage, and the Medicaid program provide benefits for Alzheimer's biomarker testing. The legislation defines Alzheimer's biomarker testing broadly to include analysis of tissue, blood, or other biospecimens for biomarkers, encompassing various advanced testing methods. These tests must be covered when used for purposes such as early detection, risk stratification, diagnosis, treatment, management, or monitoring of Alzheimer's disease, in accordance with FDA indications, national coverage determinations, or clinical practice guidelines. The bill establishes specific requirements for how this coverage must be provided. It stipulates that financial requirements and treatment limitations for Alzheimer's biomarker testing cannot be more restrictive than those applied to other medical and surgical benefits. Furthermore, plans must ensure timely prior authorization determinations, with requests considered approved if not acted upon within 72 hours, or 24 hours in urgent cases. To promote access, the bill prohibits the application of step therapy requirements for these tests and requires benefits to be provided in a manner that supports equitable access, particularly for rural and underserved populations, and encourages minimally invasive testing. Both private insurance and Medicaid coverage requirements will take effect one year after the bill's enactment. Additionally, the legislation directs the National Institutes of Health to commission an annual study and report to Congress for three years on the value of biomarker testing in detecting and treating Alzheimer's disease.