$750,000 to Fund ACT on Alzheimer's

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota awards $750,000 to fund ACT on Alzheimer's community engagement work across the state.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota today announced a three-year funding commitment of $750,000 to ACT on Alzheimer's (ACT), a volunteer-driven and statewide collaborative focused on preparing Minnesota for the impacts of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

The Blue Cross commitment will be funded through Blue Plus, the company's health maintenance organization (HMO) subsidiary, at a level of $250,000 per year for 2013, 2014 and 2015.

The $750,000 pledge from Blue Cross addresses the last funding gap for the ACT initiative and represents the largest financial commitment made to ACT by a private organization. With all budget areas now secured, ACT will start formalizing its community engagement plan with existing and future ACT communities to design and implement self-directed goals for supporting individuals affected by Alzheimer's disease.

In addition to providing financial support, Blue Cross will work directly with ACT to engage communities at the local level. The goal of ACT is to foster 20 or more "dementia capable communities" throughout Minnesota, with a focus on underserved and highly impacted communities.

+Bob DeMarco +Alzheimer's Reading Room

To learn more about Alzheimer's and Dementia visit the Alzheimer's Reading Room