I was not looking for kidney disease when it found me. It surfaced during a routine pre-op workup for a completely unrelated procedure. After advocating for
myself and pushing for a follow-up, I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2021.
I am not on dialysis yet, but I know it’s not a question of if but when.
That reality drives me to advocate. I have friends in the dialysis community living this right now, and I watch them navigate a system that too often fails to keep pace with the treatments that could help them. Innovations in kidney care, medications to treat anemia, prevent infections, reduce phosphorus, and improve transplant accessibility exist or are on the horizon. But out- dated Medicare payment systems create barriers that keep these therapies out of reach for the patients who need them most.
When I eventually need dialysis, I want those options available to me. So do the millions of Americans already in treatment today.
That’s why I’m urging Representative Raul Ruiz and Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff to support the Kidney Care Access Protection Act. This bipartisan bill would modernize Medicare’s dialysis payment system, ensuring sustainable reimbursement to keep facilities open and staffed, and create a path for patients to access innovative treatments.
Kidney disease is a human issue. It comes out of nowhere, and it can happen to anyone. Congress should act like it.
Janet Tennyson, Beaumont, California
