Indiana State Alzheimer’s Plan Overview

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In July 2011, Governor Mitch Daniels appointed the Governor’s Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease to develop Indiana’s plan to address Alzheimer's disease. The Task Force included representatives from state agencies, nonprofit organizations, care provider agencies as well as state legislators, researchers, issue experts, caregivers, and health care providers. Following public input sessions, the Task Force published the Indiana Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias 2013-2017. In 2021, following advocacy by the Alzheimer's Association, state lawmakers enacted HB 1177 (Public Law 36 of 2021) requiring an updated state Alzheimer’s plan that includes a comprehensive needs assessment and ensures a focus on key priorities including early detection and diagnosis; strengthening the dementia care workforce; increasing access to home and community-based services; and improving quality of care. The plan was released in December of 2021.

Indiana 2023 Policy Priorities

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Establish the Dementia Care Specialist Program 

Individuals diagnosed or caring for someone living with Alzheimer’s have to navigate a complex network of resources and benefits to meet their care needs. With the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease projected to increase in Indiana 18% by 2025, Indiana needs a stronger infrastructure for providing accessible support to individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on the Indiana General Assembly to appropriate $3 million to establish a statewide Dementia Care Specialist Program. This program will be administered through Indiana’s network of Area Agencies on Aging and will bring dementia-specific expertise to local communities. Dementia care specialists will focus on providing caregiver support and community education, increasing awareness, and building partnerships with local health care providers and practitioners.

 

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Authorize a Medicaid Billing Code for Dementia Services 

Individuals living with dementia have unique care needs, and states must ensure these individuals are effectively served by the Medicaid program. In Indiana, Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for important dementia care planning services, however, those on Medicaid are not. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on the Indiana Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning to authorize a Medicaid billing code for certain physicians and practitioners to bill Medicaid for dementia care planning services.

 

Find My Chapter

Together, we’re making an impact. Find an Alzheimers Association chapter in your community for more ways to engage.

Contact Us

State Affairs Contact: David Sklar

Phone: 317.587.2215 

Email: dsklar@alz.org

110,000

people living with Alzheimer’s in Indiana

216,000

Hoosiers are providing unpaid care

$1.1 Billion

Medicaid cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s (2020)

276 Million

increase in Alzheimer’s deaths since 2000

17%

in hospice with a primary diagnosis of dementia

353.0%

increase of geriatricians in Indiana needed to meet the demand in 2050