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. [...]

Editor: I spent seven years on dialysis — the only treatment outside of a transplant for kidney failure — before receiving a kidney transplant in 2023. Every day I spent hooked up to that machine was a reminder of how fragile life becomes when your kidneys fail. Before my diagnosis, I was healthy; I was an athlete and musician. But after my diagnosis, I lost my job and my employer insurance with it. Bills piled up fast. It wasn’t until a social worker helped me apply for Medicare and Medicaid that I got the coverage I needed .But I know [...]