More than 210,000 North Carolinians live with Alzheimer’s disease, and 381,000 family members and friends provide care. To address this growing public health challenge, the Alzheimer’s Association is working with state lawmakers to advance policies that improve early detection, diagnosis, care planning and support for those affected by dementia.
On January 6, we held a Public Policy Briefing to highlight all of our upcoming legislative priorities and opportunities for advocates to get involved. A recording of this virtual session is available to watch and a summary is included below:
This year, the Alzheimer’s Association will focus on the following legislative priorities during North Carolina’s short session:
- Access to biomarker testing in North Carolina (House Bill 567): Biomarkers can detect disease early, allowing timely treatment. The bill would require insurance coverage for biomarker testing, enabling earlier Alzheimer’s diagnoses and access to therapies that may slow progression. The measure passed the NC House in 2025 and heads to the Senate this session.
- Increasing dementia respite care funding (House Bill 120): Dementia caregivers face nearly twice the out-of-pocket costs of other caregivers. Project C.A.R.E. (Caregiver Alternative to Running on Empty) is the only state-funded program offering dementia-specific respite care. Additional funding would expand access to this critical support.
- Boosting research funding: The NC Registry for Brain Health, launched in 2017, connects residents to clinical trials and resources. Increased funding would expand outreach and accelerate research on brain health.
“These priorities can transform lives by improving access to care, treatments and support,” said Lindsey Golden, North Carolina director of state affairs for the Alzheimer’s Association. “With strong advocacy, we can make North Carolina a leader in dementia care and research.”
For those interested in learning more or becoming a volunteer advocate to use their voice to help advance our public policies, the Alzheimer’s Association offers several ways to get involved.
- Learn more about these priorities and how to urge your members of the N.C. General Assembly to support these critical policies during our State Champion Update.
- New ALZ Advocate information session where will discuss ways to use your voice, easy advocacy activities to get started, and resources to support you.
- 2026 Alzheimer’s Advocacy Day is our state’s largest Alzheimer’s advocacy event. Volunteers from across the state will gather together in Raleigh and share their stories with legislators, build support for our key legislative priorities, and develop relationships with other Alzheimer’s Association advocates.
For more information, visit www.alzimpact.org/northcarolina.
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