MCI diagnosis from Neuropsychologist

@maryvc
Based on your comment I requested the tau test, and found out it is not covered by Medicare and most insurance companies do not approve the test since it has yet to receive FDA approval, so... you get to pay out-of-pocket if you still want it. It can cost up to $1,200. 😳

@judimahoney We never were billed for the Tau test or the genetic test.,We have Medicare plan G with Medical Mutual.

@maryvc
Based on your comment I requested the tau test, and found out it is not covered by Medicare and most insurance companies do not approve the test since it has yet to receive FDA approval, so... you get to pay out-of-pocket if you still want it. It can cost up to $1,200. 😳

@judimahoney There is a group of US Senators trying to get the ASAP Act passed that would make insurance companies pay for the blood test. That said, I got paid to have one at a research company that advertised a “memory test.”

I had no idea I was applying for a clinical trial for a Roche medication that they say will eliminate amyloid plaque and ptau protein tangles from the brain. They paid me $175 to do some memory tests and get the blood test.

Two weeks later, I received the call that said I had tested positive for the ptau Alzheimer’s biomarker but because I did not have cognitive issues, I did not qualify for clinical trial. So I have something some call “preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease,” which is a brain with amyloid plaque and tau tangles. They told me to come back in a year and if I have MCI or dementia, then they can help me.

That said, I would look for research firms conducting clinical trials for the Roche plaque remover. What they also did not tell me that in the same month that the blood test was approved by the FDA, a two-year POINTER study showed that behavior modification can help to eliminate the plaques as well. Luckily, I found it on my own. Some neurologists believe that as much as 90% of Alzheimer’s can be reversed with (boring but it seems to work) diet change (MIND diet), quitting alcohol and smoking, exercise (about 20 minutes at least three times a week), sleeping at least 7 hours a night and cognitive games I’m playing on an app called Elevate. I am no longer prediabetic, my blood pressure is normal, I am sleeping better and I’m beating the pants of the competitors on my training app. I’ve also lost 30 lbs. in the last seven months.

There is hope. Good luck.

@helpmegir1

Eli Lilly also has a similar drug and is conducting similar trials.

@judimahoney There is a group of US Senators trying to get the ASAP Act passed that would make insurance companies pay for the blood test. That said, I got paid to have one at a research company that advertised a “memory test.”

I had no idea I was applying for a clinical trial for a Roche medication that they say will eliminate amyloid plaque and ptau protein tangles from the brain. They paid me $175 to do some memory tests and get the blood test.

Two weeks later, I received the call that said I had tested positive for the ptau Alzheimer’s biomarker but because I did not have cognitive issues, I did not qualify for clinical trial. So I have something some call “preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease,” which is a brain with amyloid plaque and tau tangles. They told me to come back in a year and if I have MCI or dementia, then they can help me.

That said, I would look for research firms conducting clinical trials for the Roche plaque remover. What they also did not tell me that in the same month that the blood test was approved by the FDA, a two-year POINTER study showed that behavior modification can help to eliminate the plaques as well. Luckily, I found it on my own. Some neurologists believe that as much as 90% of Alzheimer’s can be reversed with (boring but it seems to work) diet change (MIND diet), quitting alcohol and smoking, exercise (about 20 minutes at least three times a week), sleeping at least 7 hours a night and cognitive games I’m playing on an app called Elevate. I am no longer prediabetic, my blood pressure is normal, I am sleeping better and I’m beating the pants of the competitors on my training app. I’ve also lost 30 lbs. in the last seven months.

There is hope. Good luck.

@helpmegir1
Hello:
To date we haven't been billed for the ptau test he had last year, so that's good (perhaps because it's now received fed approval).
Found out he tested negative on that test, so at least we know his dementia is not Alzheimers.
We follow the Mediterranean Diet, exercise 40 minutes daily, no alcohol, however hubby will no longer do the brain games (he just does word search puzzles now). We were also doing Tai chi for cognitive enhancement (Emory University's Brain program sponsored that, we found the videos on YouTube), however he won't do those anymore either.
His interests are changing and positive things that are supposed to help fall by the wayside over time. We do what we can.
Good on you for your positive lifestyle changes! 👏
All the best. 🌺