developed a policy where well-endowed or relatively affluent seniors pay more. there is a significant increase in the premium, up to $43335 a month, i believe, for somebody at the height and -- the high end of the income bracket. the premiums for relatively rich people can be higher than they have been. host: let's wrap up. what's your take away for viewers on the medicare program? guest: final thoughts coming it has been a huge -- final thoughts, it has been a huge success. i don't think there is any mixed report card on medicare. it has been successful. it has growing pains because health care is very complicated. it has evolved over the years

and needs to continue to evolve but i don't believe we need some kind of fundamental new direction for fundamental restructuring of the program. host: ms. wilensky, your final thoughts? guest: we didn't hear much from the people who final -- who really count, the people who are paying for medicare and are worried about whether it will be there or not. it was interesting to listen to those who are on medicare. the current recipients. but as you've indicated, the millennials, and many of the people under 65, don't believe the programs will be there for them, social security or medicare. it would be helpful if they would become more active in the political process. they have a lot of stake. they will be paying in no matter what. the question is what will be there for them when they get there. medicare has been and are successful for the current medicare beneficiaries -- has

been very successful for the current figure medicare beneficiaries. the unfunded liabilities are not small, even for washington. host: go wilensky and dr. robert berenson -- gail will in ski -- gail wilensky and dr. robert berenson. up next, turn our attention to alzheimer's. we will talk about funding levels for research and the latest efforts to combat the disease right after this short break. ♪ >> tonight on "the

communicators," a democratic representative, diana degette, and representative jim wayne german -- jim langevin. >> we've seen the attack on the office of personnel management, but also private industry, target, home depot, some of the other private industries have had customer information stolen. we can try very hard to keep ahead of the hackers. but what we need to do is think about how we minimize the need for customers to put their private information on websites. >> right now, there are legal prohibitions to the government sharing classified information with the private sector. there are legal prohibitions from the private sector sharing threat information back with the government.

they would be termed as acting as "agents of the government," and that's not allowed. what we want to do is allow those barriers to be removed so you could share information on threat surgeries -- on threats, very narrowly defined. of the various hacks that have taken place out there, if we could roughly -- broadly shared that information, then we could widely shared the vulnerability and better protect everyone. >> tonight at 8:00 eastern on "the communicators" on c-span2. >> "washington journal" continues. host: we continued this morning with our weekly look at how your taxpayer dollars are being spent, part of our "your money" series. we are focusing on federal dollars that go to research for all timers disease. joining us is robert egg -- for

alzheimer's disease. joining us is robert egge of the alzheimer's association. where does research stand? guest: for too long, alzheimer's research has been underfunded. that's reflected in the fact that we don't have the kind of treatment we need for alzheimer's disease. we focused on cancer and heart disease. diseases that worked well recognized -- that weren't well recognized then weren't well funded. host: in the house, there is legislation proposing $300 million funding increase over the $600 million. in the senate, senator's blunt and -- senator blunt and senator

murray are working on a $350 million increase. guest: this would be a major step toward what we need to address what alzheimer's is bringing to our country today and into the future. host: let's talk about that. here are the costs as projected in 2014 dollars. 28 million baby boomers will likely develop alzheimer's by 2050. by 2020, the projected costs will reach $11 billion. by 2040 -- what does the projected increase mean? guest: let's start with the trend outlines. alzheimer's is already the most expensive disease in america. the reason for that is not because of expensive treatments or other factors like that. it is because alzheimer's requires so much care, not just by families, but the health care system, long-term care.

we also know the numbers of people with alzheimer's disease increases dramatically in coming years, unless we have research breakthroughs that will break that trend. that's the opportunity of it -- opportunity that congress is seizing. they are hoping to change the trend line we are on, especially the trickling of alzheimer's -- tripling of alzheimer's, and get us on a more sustainable trajectory. the focus is on research steps we need to reach the goal that is outlined in the national plan for alzheimer's disease, a plan that was required by legislation signed into law in 2011. the goal is effectively treating alzheimer's disease by 2025. the research has been outlined year-by-year. now it is a matter of funding it. host: you're talking about this issue with the -- we are talking about this issue with the

alzheimer's association. we have divided the lines by patients and families. your line is (202)748-8003. dial in. let us know what your story and situation is with combating alzheimer's. a republican was at an event sponsored by the alzheimer's association. here is what she had to say about the rise of cases versus the money being spent on research. [video clip] >> i think this is one of these issues where we are looking at it far too narrowly. because if you look at alzheimer's, it is our costliest disease. if you look at the return on investment, if you look at the synonymy of cases -- the tsunami of cases we are going to be facing just because of the changing demographics of our country, we can't afford not to make this investment. [end video clip]

host: robert egge? guest: she has been a vocal proponent of what we need to do for alzheimer's disease for quite some time. today, we spend $26,000 in medicare and medicaid on those with alzheimer's and dementia to everyone hundred dollars we spend in research -- to every $100 we spend in research. the government policy has been about like that. we have been talking about being prepared, when the car bakes down -- breaks down, to spend to buy a new one. host: what does the research have to show for the millions of dollars? guest: started in the mid-1970's -- it started in the mid-1970's with the national cancer act of 1971. it was a heyday of focusing from

infectious disease to chronic diseases. there was a recognition that we would be an aging society, which was exactly right. the primary institute where alzheimer's research happened was started. -- happens was started. there was a little bump up in 1990, but, by and large, it been on autopilot -- it has been on autopilot. right now, just for a sense of comparison in cancer we have made great investments that have been over $5 billion per year. in alzheimer's, it's been about 1/10 of that. that gives you a sense of where the breakthroughs we have in cancer are coming from, from this well-funded base of research that pharmaceutical companies are capitalizing on. that same base does not exist for alzheimer's today. host: so, there have not been any breakthroughs? guest: from the perspective of somebody with alzheimer's

disease, there have not been nearly enough breakthroughs. there are some treatments are effective. but a breakthrough has not occurred. alzheimer's is the only leading way of death without a way to your, prevent -- to cure, prevent, or reduce the occurrence. we understand it much better than we did several years ago. we've seen results in trials. if we get the funding where we need it to be, they can capitalize and turn into the treatments we need. host: here's a headline, "eli lilly -- alzheimer's drug may slow the process -- the disease's progress." it can slow the disease's impact by 34%. ti -- the disease-slowing impact only applies to patients with

mild alzheimer's. can this be left in the hands of the private sector? guest: not solely in their hands. the fundamental and we have is that pharmaceutical companies have been -- fundamental point we have is that pharmaceutical companies have been heavily investing in trials. the underlying mechanisms are well enough understood -- are not well enough understood. the treatment can be based on a murky understanding of what is going on. when that is clarified pharmaceutical companies can make better bets and have better results. we've seen glimmers of hope in recent trials. many promising results, like the ones you cited, were recently reached -- recently revealed. host: how long will it be until

the drug reaches market? guest: they could continue to have promising results. we think about five years from now, perhaps, in terms of patients. we will first have incremental results, step-by-step. we will not get the silver bullet or the breakthrough almost certainly, but we will have the intuitive improvement -- the cumulative improvement in treatments available. it may be in cocktail form. it depends on how alzheimer's works in your body as an individual. host: let's go to roberta in san diego, a republican. you are up first in this conversation on all timers. -- on alzheimer's. caller: i have a neighbor whose child is autistic.

i was wondering if they have done research on autism, where they remember everything and alzheimer's, where they forget everything. guest: that's an interesting question. there is a focus on alzheimer's influence on the brain. there has been support to get these common mechanisms that underlie diseases, from autism to alzheimer's. that kind of research is important to understand what is fundamentally going on in the brain. an example of this is down syndrome. many with down syndrome develop alzheimer's disease by the age of 40. one advantage we have in figuring out how these diseases work is one in the context of the other. there are several studies going on on alzheimer's disease in those with down syndrome. host: madison, wisconsin, john,

a republican, on our line for patients and families. caller: my dad died from alzheimer's in the early-19 70's, and i'm haunted -- early-1970's, and i'm haunted by getting it myself. is it true the united states spends about $32 billion a year on basic science about $2100 -- $100 per capita? i read an article that in 2007 the canadians spent about $25 per capita. the same is true in europe japan, and other developed countries. how do we get other people in other countries to put some skin in the game? why is it always americans who have to foot the bill for all of us? guest: your point about being hunted about alzheimer's is not unusual. it's the second most feared disease after cancer.

for those 65 and older, it is most -- the most feared disease. it is true that the united states leads the way in alzheimer's research, just like medical research in general. that's starting to change especially in the asia-pacific region where we see china and other countries investing heavily in alzheimer's research. one reason they are doing so is not just to carry their share of what needs to be done but also because when you invest in your own country, you have a lot of other benefits as well. you build up a scientific base and the foundation for the next generations economy -- next generation's economy. there are reasons beyond altruism to say that america is wise to invest in disease. it's also true to say other countries should be doing more.

we participate in a world council convened by the g7. prime minister david cameron brought this group together to focus on disease. last year, they focused on alzheimer's disease. there was a wide recognition and commitment that every country should do more to fund alzheimer's research. i'm glad to see the united states stepping forward in that way. host: rick, also on our line or patient -- line for patients and families. caller: my grandmother passed in 2008. i wish we had at your -- had a c ure for alzheimer's. my grandma had visions of things. in her later years, she wound up with all spammers. -- with alzheimer's. i want for other people that have alzheimer's to do that --

to have some type of medicine that can make them outgrow it. i have visions as well. i don't want other things to lead to other stuff al zheimer's. i want to live for a long time. i have been watching c-span for a long time now. host: we will get a response. guest: i'm sorry to hear about what happened with your loved one. so many americans have experiences as well. i'm sorry to hear that. it is a common story today. one of the facts about timers disease -- about alzheimer's disease, you don't tend to have it in isolation. those with alzheimer's and

dementia 3/4 have another condition, like cancer or heart disease. one of the things that is so difficult about alzheimer's disease for those families living with it is that it complicates care for these other conditions as well. we see that in terms of cost. those with alzheimer's and diabetes tend to cost 80% more for their diabetes. that gives you a sense of what alzheimer's does. if you think about what it does in families that have been -- what it does, and families that have been living with this don't need this explanation. diabetes has a lot of competition medications you have to take on a regular basis. when you have alzheimer's, you cannot manage that yourself. it's difficult for family members to assist with that. that leads to preventable hospitalizations.

there is an opportunity, in many ways, that if we can delay the onset of alzheimer's by five years, those are five years where we don't have those complications and we see the economic returns of just a fi ve-year delay are profound. they could cut the cost in future years by up to 1/3. that's where we can see a real return on investment even in early years from medical progress by reseqaarch. host: we are about alzheimer's disease, efforts to combat it, funding. democrats, (202)748-8000. republicans, (202)748-8001. families and patients, (202)748-8003. caller: good morning.

this is a very good subject. one of my grandmothers lived to 83. she drank like a fish every day of her life, smoked two packs a day, lived till 83, and died of natural causes. sharp as a tack. she lived through the depression. she could remember stories. my other grandmother was starting to show signs of -- they used to call it i think dementia. i don't know if it's the same thing. before alzheimer's got her, she had renal failure. i'm living with my 30-year-old daughter. she will say mom you told me that story already. i'm starting to, like, is this normal? mi starting to get alzheimer's -- am i starting to get alzheimer's? it is scaring the daylight out of me.

i have a regular doctor i can go to. i think i'm pretty sharp. i remember most things and stuff. so, i don't know when is the time to go get tested. host: we will ask robert egge. guest: a lot of great point s and comments. one, what is dementia versus alzheimer's disease? dementia refers to where you have your cognitive capacity declining. there are multiple cases for that, in about 10% reversal -- 10% of cases reversible. it could be a vitamin deficiency. it's great to talk to your doctor about those concerns. the biggest cause of dementia by far is alzheimer's disease. there can be other causes of dementia, but alzheimer's is the biggest story behind the increase we see today. in terms of the diagnosis of

alzheimer's disease one thing to note is that it doesn't happen often enough. there was a previous discussion about medicare, which has been a lifesaver for so many with alzheimer's disease and really essential. one thing that medicare hasn't done as well is support the diagnosis of alzheimer's. we are talking with congress about that, the opportunity to improve that. when you have concerns and you start to see changes over time that's an important thing to note, then it is time did not only discuss it with your family, but to go and see your health care provider and raise it through conversation. let them know you want to have a conversation about this. that's important. in terms of what is a warning sign, i have to confess i have been -- them too. why did i forget that detail? a lot of that is the human condition. it's natural to forget more as you age.

but alzheimer's is disease not normal aging. it will ultimately require a health care provider to make the diagnosis. warning signs can be when things start to change rather dramatically. you don't just have trouble remembering where you put your these, but -- your keys but you find them in unusual places, like your refrigerator. that would be unusual. it's a continuum. talk to your family and note what has changed over time. that would be a good thing to take to your medical provider when you address your concerns. host: "what is the main use of alzheimer's? early years of drug use? chemical in environment? chemical in diet?" guest: genetic is a contributor. we talk about the propensity for alzheimer's. there are some genes we know

lead to a higher risk for it. in a small population, they can be determined. for many with early onset alzheimer's, there is a variation that is genetically driven, but that's the rare case. we know that lifestyle factors can contribute to alzheimer's disease as well. there's opportunity here also. at alz.org, we have a list of ways you can "love your brain." a few simple tips. follow your doctor's prescription advice for taking care of your heart and you're probably doing well by your brain as well. a good diet, being physically active. it can't hurt to keep your brain physically -- your brain active. protect your brain. wear a helmet. those pieces of advice are really important. host: are there environmental

factors? if so, what are they? guest: some said aluminum was the big cause for alzheimer's. there have been various theories about that along the way. generally speaking, they have not really can doubt to be a key contributor -- have not really panned out to be a key contributor. we have not had the funding to pursue all of these different avenues. by and large, environment does not seem to be a driving factor in alzheimer's disease. host: sheila, go ahead. caller: my mother's has had -- mother has had alzheimer's for 12 years now. we have had her on a well-known drug. she seemed to do worse. the hallucinations were horrible. i told my sister to take her off of it. i've watched every documentary. i read everything medically that i can.

i found that turmeric fought the inflammation that may cause alzheimer's. i told my sister to put her on the turmeric. we put her on it about seven years ago. my sister did not want to take her off the drug. i begged my sister to take her off of it. my sister works in hospice. she was a having a hard time working. i'm sick. i can't take care of my mother like my sister can. we finally took her off of it, got her on the turmeric, increased the dosage, increased the dosage, and my mother has actually been doing better. my mother is in fabulous health. yes, she still has the alzheimer's, but i think what we did with the turmeric in large doses slowed down the progress of the disease. host: is there any evidence of this, robert egge?

guest: so far, that has not been validated in large scale trials. we aren't able to say on the large -- on the basis of medical trials, do that. host: would they even test something like that? guest: it is expensive, for one thing. host: a natural powder? guest: there have been things like that, like fish oil and omega-3's. these have been tested over time as these theories have developed. i don't think a scientist would outright miss that a certain element could have an effect on an individual that differs from somebody else. a major thrust of medicine is precision. it manifests itself differently in every individual. that could have implications. having said that, there is no scientific aces to recommend -- basis to recommend any supplement like that. host: winston-salem north

carolina. good morning. caller: i'm 77. most of my friends are seniors. to a person, they fear this disease, as the gentleman said. all of them would rather have death would dignity -- death wit h dignity than go through this experience, which seems to be almost impossible in this country. could he comment? guest: there is a lot of disagreement about elements of the end-of-life that have nothing specifically to do with alzheimer's disease but they are a conversation our country is in right now. one thing that is separate from that but important to note is that one of the reasons why it is important to talk about this early is, however you age however your life ends, whatever disease, certainly for alzheimer's, to be clear about

what your wishes are, to talk with family and health care providers about how you want to be taken care of. that's one of the advantages of talking early with health care providers when you have concerns about your memory that could lead to a diagnosis of alzheimer's, that you could participate in conversations when you still have the ability to do so, rather than after alzheimer's has progressed and you could not participate in those decisions. host: maggie in ohio. good morning. you are on the air maggie. caller: yes. my mother has been diagnosed with alzheimer's with -- with dementia i'm sorry. i wanted to know if i should be pursuing other avenues in terms of whether she will develop alzheimer's, or just wait until something actually happens. guest: i take it from your comment that your mother was -- your mother was told she has

dementia, but not specifically alzheimer's disease. i think it is important that you continue to pursue with your health care provider what really is driving alzheimer's disease or the dementia. in a few cases, they can be reversed, typically not. but there are other reasons to continue to talk with your health care provider. let your health care provider know that you are engaged in care and you want to have a conversation about this. too often, we find that these conversations don't take place between a family and health care provider, for a number of reasons, but that should change. and if you are not getting the support in the conversations you need there, you may want to consider whether that is the right health care provider or you may need other sources of information. it may include support groups and other resources. we have a 20 47 -- a 24/7 line

that is staffed by master physicians. you can ask questions that may not fit into a health care provider's conversation. host: according to the alzheimer's association, the biggest factor -- risk factor for alzheimer's is aging. as the u.s. population ages, the number of people aged 65 and older with alzheimer's is projected to nearly triple to 1 3.8 million in 2050, unless we find ways to prevent the disease. the nih, national institute of health, is estimating they need an additional $323 million above the estimated base budget in 2017 fiscal year 2017, towards the goal of preventing and treating alzheimer's disease and related dementia by 2025. there is bipartisan support in the congress for increasing alzheimer's research money above the $600 million. the alzheimer's research gets that now.

two about another $300 million. chris in aurora, illinois, another democrat. good morning. caller: i'm curious to know how much money goes into actual research versus administrative costs and how much money is being directed into other brain disorders and diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. guest: i will tell you if you are willing to do a little bit of investigating -- the good news is the nih, which is an acronym for the national institute of health, part of the federal government that does our biomedical research, they do a pretty good job of reading transparent -- of being transparent on how they spend money on various diseases. i can't remember the exact web address, but you can find how much they devote research for different diseases. in terms of alzheimer's disease we work with the nih very closely on this. we are satisfied that they are pursuing this research in an

efficient way when it comes to alzheimer's research, so we have no complaints. our medical science team. there is some administration as part of just running a big project, and it is unavoidable. but they are focused on efficiency. the point you made about what we call the professional judgment budget for alzheimer's disease -- we in the alzheimer's community the alzheimer's association, pushed for a new mechanism called the alzheimer's accountability act. it became law in december of last year. it requires that scientists of nih developed this request specifically for what they need next year and a year after that year by year, in alzheimer's research, to stay on track. today, that mechanism only exists for cancer and hiv/aids. it's important that congress

hear directly from the scientist at any age -- from the scientists at nih what they need. this is also supported on a bipartisan basis. this is one of those issues where there has not been any partisan disagreement in congress about what needs to be done. host: you go to nih's website, nih.gov, you can find the funding streams there. maybe the producer could tell me real quickly $440 million for fiscal year 2011 -- it's a little hard for me to read. $562 million for 2014. you can see how the number breaks down. nih.gov, for those who are interested. mark in jupiter, florida. caller: thank you greta. this is a subject that hits close to home. my father, my mother's second

husband, a great guy, had osiris -- had alzheimer's. it's one of the most devastating things to have someone that is here, but not here. it's deeply pained. -- painful. when the previous color called about -- previous caller called about turmeric, the gentleman kind of dismissed it, even though they were getting positive results with that. anti-inflammatories and other things, like coconut oil, there was a book written by a medical doctor who was losing her husband. she did some research herself. she was a pediatric physician. she did her own research, obviously did not want to lose her husband. she essentially learned that, according to her alzheimer's is a form of diabetes of the brain a problem with glucose conversion.

what she figured out was that the brain could also run on medium chain triglycerides. that's what cooking oil is -- coconut oil is. it has long been vilified, but it turns out that it is extremely healthy. she started putting the coconut oil on her husband's oatmeal in the morning. he did a test that determines how the -- that he had severe alzheimer's, and that's what prompted her own research. he could not even draw a clock a circle with a couple of hands. within a month of adding this coconut oil --on her husband's oatmeal, he went back to kind of medium alzheimer's. she couldn't say "i found a cure " but the title of the book was "what if there were a cure for alzheimer's?"

there are quotes from people who say the coconut oil made all the difference in the world it turned the progression of the disease around and helped manage it. so many of these associations, whether it is run for the cure for all these things, seem to be pharma based. it's all about finding a drug. there is a new hepatitis c drug, $1,000 a puill -- pill. host: let's take the point at the end. guest: i agree there are many things that can be done that are not pharma based. let's go back to the good advice about your of your heart and brain can't be actively -- your brain and heart be actively engaged. it won't guarantee that you don't get alzheimer's, just like

the perfect individual can't guarantee they don't get cancer. but it does help ward off cognitive decline or impairment. that's an important point to end on. i couldn't agree more with you. i hope it doesn't sound dismissive of other approaches. the fact is, i just can't say based on science whether those things are warranted or not. science has not validated those approaches. it does not prove or rule it out, but it does say we cannot endorse that is a proven strategy to move ahead. i can say though that whether it is coconut oil or turmeric, the scientific community is well aware of these hypotheses. scientists and academic researchers are motivated to look for breakthrough approaches that explain the disease. in that sense the incentives are right to investigate those things whether they are pharma or non-pharma.

they have been studied in the past in very expensive trials. with more research resources, we ought to be pursuing every reasonable in re-into what could -- reasonable inquiry into what could turn the tide against this disease. host: frank, good morning. caller: good morning. i was in a relationship -- in relationship to your last caller, i'm in agreement. there was a program on pbs that emphasized the issue of prevention, going on a prevention-based diet, limiting the intake of refined flour, corn syrup, processed foods. it seems like, since we don't have a cure, i would really think that the emphasis needs to be on those things that we can affect. what we put into our mouth, our food, seems to have a relation -- correlation to impact on the body. and what we stay away from

staying away from potatoes, breads, things like this that, in essence, georgia sugar in our body -- turn to sugar in our body and wind up creating information in the body would be a great thing to do -- creating inflammation in the body would be a great thing to do. a doctor on the program said that alzheimer's seems to be similar to diabetes. prevention could go a long way to addressing this problem until we can find a cure. we are spending billions of dollars on research for a cure when prevention may be the answer. guest: what i often do is just think about what's going on in other major diseases. as you look at cancer and heart we all know there have been some treatment breakthroughs in terms of drugs biologics that i'm sure have made all the

difference in overcoming those diseases and leading to many more happy years of life, and that's fantastic. there is evidence that living healthy doesn't guarantee results that can reduce the risk in developing this. there is some disagreement, in the lay literature and lay communities and the scientific community about what that means. there are some fundamentals we all know are hallmarks of a healthier way of living, such as reducing sugars and things like that. there is a link between diabetes and alzheimer's, like many other chronic diseases. there is some important truth to your comment. host: good morning. you are on the air. caller: my question is along the lines of neural protectants. i don't know much about turmeric but i know that there is a cat of opioids -- a cap of

opioids believed to be a protectant. there's a license to research it for pharma. it seems we are supporting more the business side of the pharma, even the cancer, with the anti-inflammatories. coriander is a great anti-inflammatory. dark chocolate, lima beans green tea. it seems we are focusing on the pharma companies more than we are on people. how can we change that initiative? guest: with the national institutes of health, which is what congress is looking to fund the research angles they pursue there are what are called basic science. before they can inform non-pharma companies or nonpharmacologic or drug strategies in the future, they help us understand what is going on. whatever strategies are best,

they can deploy. what congress is working on does not specifically help a pharmaceutical company versus somebody with the proposed different diet, it is just a help us understand the disease and what it means for us to avoid it. fundamentally, that's what congress is focused on. in terms of pharmaceutical corporations, they have invested money. they have skin in the game. like in other areas, if they were to find a breakthrough drug, certainly, that would be good for them in financial terms. this is not fundamentally different from the way we have approached this and every other disease. the dynamics are the same. what congress is focused on is not funding a pharmaceutical company or anything like that. host: and for more information you can go to the alzheimer association website alz.org.

thank you for your time this morning. next, we are going to open up the phone lines. you are welcome to weigh in on the president's announcement of the climate change initiative. we have the 20's -- 2016 voters first forum tonight or the exxon and planned parenthood happening today. we will get all of that, and your phone calls, right after this break. >> tonight on "the communicators," diana degette from colorado jim land you been on how to combat recent data breaches. >> most recent attack of course on the office of personnel mana