My father, Earl, treated dialysis like going to work. Diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure, he went on dialysis in 2014 and never let it slow him down.
He lost weight, got healthier, and even won a Halloween costume contest that fall (my sister dressed him up as a wizard). He was in his 70s and furious about it. That photo is one of our family’s most treasured memories.
Through his dialysis journey, I watched my dad find a new community and family at his clinic. I also saw firsthand how vulnerable that lifeline can be and how much worse things get when coverage fails.
A recent Supreme Court ruling now allows private insurers to force newly diagnosed patients off their coverage before the 30-month buffer ends. The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act would restore that safeguard, giving patients the time they need to adjust before transitioning to Medicare.
That’s why I’m urging Representative Mike Thompson and Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff to support this bipartisan bill. Dialysis is not a death sentence, but inadequate care and inadequate coverage can make it one.
Erline Geske, Napa, California
