FRANKFORT, Ky. — State Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser is urging Congress to expand Medicare coverage of blood-based Alzheimer's screening tests, citing a pressing need to improve early detection and access to care in rural Kentucky communities.

Moser, who chairs the House Health Services Committee, said in an opinion submitted to news outlets that new blood tests can detect biological markers associated with Alzheimer's disease using a simple blood draw — a development that could be "particularly meaningful in Kentucky" because access to dementia specialists is unevenly distributed across the state.

"Access to dementia specialists and advanced screening services is not evenly distributed across our Commonwealth," Moser wrote. She cited national data showing that 85 percent of people living with dementia were initially diagnosed by non-specialists, and 71 percent of rural physicians reported insufficient access to dementia specialists.

Rural residents in the United States have less access to memory care specialists and educational resources than in other areas, though Kentucky has initiated an interdisciplinary rural caregiving telemedicine program to reach residents in areas where dementia care resources are limited.

The push comes as Congress considers the Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act, which would provide a pathway to earlier dementia blood test screening for Medicare beneficiaries and creates a pathway for Medicare coverage of FDA-approved blood biomarker screening tests. The FDA approved the first blood test for Alzheimer's diagnosis in May 2025.

Moser applauded U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee and made a hearing on the measure possible on September 15. She urged him to ensure legislation receives a floor vote this year.

Wider use of blood biomarker tests could help fill geographic gaps in care, as PET scans simply aren't available in wide stretches of the country, including the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

The financial burden of dementia is substantial. Moser noted that in 2026, health and long-term-care costs for Americans living with Alzheimer's and other dementias are projected to reach $409 billion, with Medicare and Medicaid covering approximately $263 billion.

Moser, a retired NICU and flight nurse and former director of the Northern Kentucky Office of Drug Control, emphasized that earlier detection could give patients and families more time to prepare for caregiving and future needs while reducing geographic barriers to specialty dementia care.