During my final year of college, I nearly died. What began as abdominal pain, misdiagnosed and mistreated, spiraled into sepsis that was shutting down my organs
one by one. By the time I reached the hospital, I needed four units of blood and four hours of emergency dialysis before I could even have surgery. I was a college student on my parents’ private insurance with no clue what the next steps were.
That diagnosis changed everything. But instead of letting it define me, it drove me. I finished my degree, continued working full-time and became an advocate for what I call warriors – people living with chronic illness who choose to fight back with knowledge.
What I know now is that newly diagnosed dialysis patients are already fighting the hardest battle of their lives. The last thing they should have to worry about is losing their private insurance before they’re ready to transition to Medicare. However, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling opened the door for insurers to do exactly that, push patients off their coverage before the traditional 30-month protection period ends (“Social Security’s retirement trust faces funding shortfall one year earlier than expected,” June 9).
That buffer is a lifeline. It gives patients time to stabilize, understand their options and make informed decisions about their care.
That’s why I’m urging U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks as well as members of Maryland’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives to support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act.
Alicia Lee, Landover, Maryland
