House committee approves requiring state employee plans to cover FDA‑approved Alzheimer’s treatments

Representative Julie Mayberry on Wednesday asked the Insurance & Commerce Committee to approve House Bill 1055 so state employees and public‑school employees would have the same access to FDA‑approved Alzheimer’s treatments now available through Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Health Administration.

The bill passed the committee by voice vote; a formal roll‑call tally was not recorded in the hearing record. Representative Mayberry sponsored the measure and closed for the bill after a full hearing with medical experts, patient families and Employee Benefits Division (EBD) staff.

Supporters told the committee the bill is narrowly targeted to early‑stage patients who meet strict clinical criteria and registry requirements. David Cook, director of government affairs for the Alzheimer’s Association, said the decision to treat should be made by clinicians rather than benefit administrators and that delaying access can increase costly late‑stage care. "This ensures that state employees have the same level of access that Arkansans who participate in the state Medicaid program and those veterans who can access these treatments," Cook said.

Neurologist Morgan Sauer described the treatments as targeting underlying biology rather than behavior and emphasized the narrow clinical window for use. "These…