I was 16 when I started dialysis. I spent 17.5 years in treatment before receiving a transplant nearly 10 years ago. But a transplant isn’t a cure — it’s another type of
treatment for my kidney failure, one that still requires lifelong medications, labs and procedures.
Even with coverage, I’ve seen how hard it can be for patients to access treatments they need. Too many people I’ve met on this journey, including those in my local kidney support group, struggle to get therapies that could improve their quality of life, like treatments for pruritus, anemia, phosphorous control or infection prevention. These complications may sound minor, but they can lead to hospitalizations, suffering and even death.
That’s why I’m urging Congressman Vince Fong to support the Kidney Care Access Protection Act. This bipartisan bill would ensure dialysis patients can access the latest treatments and that clinics can keep their doors open in communities that need them. We cannot change the fact that we have kidney disease. But you can help change the system to give us a better quality of life.
Jennifer McClung, Springville, California
