I was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2006. I started dialysis immediately and received my first kidney transplant just 18 months later. That kidney gave me 13
years – years I spent working, living fully, and maintaining my health. Then, in 2020, my kidney failed. I returned to dialysis for five and a half years before receiving my second transplant this past February.
Throughout my second period on dialysis, I continued working and maintained private insurance through my employer. However, a recent Supreme Court decision made it possible for insurers to push dialysis patients off their private coverage prematurely, causing other patients to be less fortunate. No one should be forced into that chaos simply because they became sick.
That’s why I’m urging U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., and U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, both Republicans, to support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act. This bipartisan bill would protect new dialysis patients’ private insurance for the full 30 months before transitioning to Medicare.
Dialysis is already draining. Congress has the power to remove one more burden, and I hope they choose to do so.
Alex Berrios, Louisville, Kentucky
