With four diseases costing the nation more than $1.1 trillion a year, co-founder Lou Weisbach says disease is the one issue that affects every American, and urges voters to hold Congress accountable for funding the American Center for Cures

CHICAGO, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Center for Cures today called on all Americans to demand action in the fight to cure disease and to make it the No. 1 bipartisan issue of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. With Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease and cancer now costing the nation more than $1.1 trillion a year in direct medical costs, according to the most recent estimates from leading health authorities, the organization is urging voters to tell every member of the House and Senate, every candidate seeking their seats and the White House that passing bipartisan legislation to fund the American Center for Cures must be their top priority.

"Disease is the only issue that affects every single American," said Lou Weisbach, co-founder of the The American Center for Cures. "It doesn't matter if you're Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or of any faith or no faith at all. It doesn't matter where your family comes from or how you vote. When cancer or Alzheimer's strikes your family, the price of gas and the cost of groceries suddenly stop mattering. Nothing else matters. That's why this election, Americans have the power to change the conversation. Make curing disease the issue by funding the American Center for Cures and holding our government accountable for getting it done."

The cost of inaction is staggering and growing:

• Alzheimer's and other dementias: Combined Medicare and Medicaid spending will reach an estimated $263 billion in 2026 and is projected to rise to $642 billion (in 2026 dollars) by 2050. (Alzheimer's Impact Movement, April 2026)
• Diabetes: Diagnosed diabetes cost the nation $412.9 billion in 2022, including $306.6 billion in direct medical costs. (American Diabetes Association)
• Heart disease and stroke: These diseases cost the U.S. health care system $223.2 billion a year, plus $191.5 billion in indirect costs from premature death. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 2026)
• Cancer: National costs for cancer care were projected at $208.9 billion in 2020. (National Cancer Institute)

By comparison, the entire American Center for Cures plan would cost $750 billion over six years, less than what the nation now spends on these four diseases in a single year. The plan would be funded through the sale of U.S. Treasury bonds, and the government's only responsibility would be paying the interest: $6 billion in the first year, $12 billion in the second and $18 billion in the third, rising by $6 billion each year. That interest would be offset by pharmaceutical licensing fees, and the principal would be repaid through the federal health care savings generated by prevention and cures.

"What a great way to bring down the deficit," Weisbach said.

Once funded by Congress, the American Center for Cures would launch 16 separate private-sector efforts. Fourteen would each be charged with preventing and/or curing a single disease, with a $36 billion budget. Two additional units would receive $108 billion each, one to fund all other diseases, including orphan diseases, and one to fund artificial intelligence efforts. The remaining $30 billion would be held as a reserve fund to help cross the finish line. Each effort would be led by proven business leaders working alongside leading scientists and physicians, with clear goals and accountability for results.

The organization is asking Americans to take three simple steps before Nov. 3: record a short video or social media post explaining why curing disease matters to their family, send it to their U.S. representative, U.S. senators and the candidates on their ballot, and share it using #TheCuresPledge.

"Every member of Congress and every candidate running this year must make curing disease their No. 1 priority," Weisbach said. "Not someday. Now. We have the science, the technology and artificial intelligence to do it. What we've been missing is the funding and leaders who are held accountable for results. On Nov. 3, Americans can change that."

The American Center for Cures was founded in 1999 by Weisbach and Richard Boxer, M.D., a urologist and clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Boxer also serves on the National Cancer Advisory Board, whose members are appointed by the president. Weisbach built Ha-Lo Industries into the world's largest promotional products company, with 55 offices in 11 countries. A version of the bipartisan proposal was first introduced in the U.S. Senate as the American Center for Cures Act of 2005, and the organization is calling on the next Congress to introduce new bipartisan legislation to fund and launch the American Center for Cures.

To take part and learn more, visit The American Center for Cures or contact Dara Shlifka at thecurespledge@gcw.agency

About the American Center for Cures
The American Center for Cures is a bipartisan initiative founded in 1999 by Lou Weisbach and Richard Boxer, M.D., to prevent and cure the major diseases of our time, including cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, heart disease, ALS, MS and mental illness. The American Center for Cures is a fiscally sponsored project of The Giving Back Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity. For more information, visit theamericancenterforcures.org.

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SOURCE Lou Weisbach