With a 62 percent majority vote, California residents voted against proposition 8, which could have had devastating consequences for dialysis patients’ access to care if passed.

DPC is grateful for all of the patients and advocates who spoke to their friends, family, and peers about the dangers of this flawed ballot initiative.

We will continue our work to elevate the voice of individuals with kidney disease, as we fight for patients’ rights and continued access to quality care.

There are over 84,0001 individuals in California with kidney failure. If proposition 8 had passed, many dialysis facilities would have faced potential closure, leaving patients to scramble to find new dialysis facilities for their treatment and potentially travel much farther to receive their life-saving care.

1. United States Renal Data System, 2015 annual data report: An overview of the epidemiology of kidney disease in the United States. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2014.