Letter to Ms. Mary Anne Penner, Director of Stamp Services of the Postal Service - Issue an Alzheimer's Research Semipostal Stamp

Letter

Dear Ms. Penner:
We write as members of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease and other concerned Members of Congress to urge the United States Postal Service (USPS) to issue and sell an Alzheimer's Research Semipostal Stamp as the inaugural semipostal stamp under the USPS discretionary Semipostal Stamp Program.

Alzheimer's is a devastating disease affecting millions of Americans, and it has reached crisis proportions. An estimated 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and this number could increase to 16 million by the year 2050. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth leading cause of death for persons aged 65 and over. Alzheimer's is the only cause of death among the top 10 causes of death in the United States that has no means of prevention, no cure, and no method for slowing its progression.

Alzheimer's imposes a tremendous burden on families, government and society. The direct costs to American society of caring for Alzheimer's patients in 2016 are estimated to be $236 billion, including $160 billion that will be spent by Medicare and Medicaid. Furthermore, more than 15 million family members and friends provided more than 18 billion hours of unpaid care to individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in 2015. The economic value of this unpaid care has been estimated at $221 billion.

Our nation is at a crossroads. We must act now to change the trajectory of this disease! The National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease calls for a cure or an effective treatment for Alzheimer's by the year 2025. Reaching this goal will require a significant increase in federal funding for Alzheimer's research.

An Alzheimer's Research Semipostal Stamp will provide an excellent opportunity to raise funds for cutting-edge Alzheimer's research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A semipostal stamp will simultaneously raise public awareness about Alzheimer's disease and encourage concerned individuals to get involved and make voluntary contributions to Alzheimer's research efforts.

We therefore respectfully urge that the USPS select the Alzheimer's Research Semipostal Stamp as its inaugural semipostal stamp. We appreciate your consideration of our concerns.