This week, The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) will be marking up S. 1552 – The Living Donor Protection Act introduced by Senators Tom Cotton (R‑AR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D‑NY). This bill, and its’ House companion bill H.R. 4583, provides essential protections for living kidney donors, including job security, protection from insurance discrimination, and the financial burdens associated with transplantation.
Specifically, The Living Donor Protection Act would:
- Prohibit life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying or limiting coverage and from charging higher premiums for living organ donors.
- Amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to specifically include living organ donation as a serious health condition for private and civil service employees.
- Direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to update their material on live organ donation to reflect these new protections and encourage more individuals to consider donating an organ.
Dialysis is not easy, and patients deserve every opportunity to receive a life-saving transplant without added obstacles. Please contact your Members of Congress and encourage them to support this important legislation.
