My father’s battle with end-stage renal disease changed our family’s life. I cared for him as he endured dialysis for two years, showing immense courage. He received two transplants, including one of my kidneys, but sadly, he passed away. In his memory, I now advocate for kidney patients and am pursuing a master’s degree in physiology at Georgetown University. Dialysis patients like my father often face financial hardships. As a business owner, he paid up to $1,400 monthly for private insurance to receive better treatment options than state insurance could provide. Previously, end-stage renal disease patients could keep their private [...]

Being diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease, ESRD, or kidney failure, changed my life. Suddenly, I needed intravenous treatment three times per week to survive. Like so many ESRD patients, I had to uproot my life to receive treatment. I kept my job during my dialysis journey, working six hours a day and receiving treatment afterwards. I was perpetually exhausted — but I got through it. Adding to the challenges ESRD patients like me face, a recent Supreme Court decision allows private insurers to push high-cost consumers like ESRD patients off of their plans prematurely, even if they are employed. [...]

After I received a kidney transplant, I wrote a letter to the family of my donor expressing my immense gratitude. My journey with end stage renal disease took a toll, and the transplant marked a new beginning. I moved to Kansas City, began working full time and started a family. I received dialysis — a treatment three times per week to replace my kidney function — for almost seven years before receiving a transplant. I am extremely thankful for dialysis, but it was exhausting. I qualified for Medicare and Medicaid for the entirety of my dialysis journey, but others rely [...]

I was 14 when my father was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease, or kidney failure. I witnessed the suffering, anxiety, and helplessness the disease brought upon my family. I also witnessed the financial burden of medical bills, which became unaffordable once my father was forced off of his marketplace insurance. Traditionally, private insurance companies cover dialysis for 30 months after an individual starts treatment, providing patients with the opportunity to focus on their health rather than worrying about their finances. However, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakens these protections, which could lead to more insurers kicking kidney failure [...]

Kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), affects Americans of all ages. I was 14 years old when I received my diagnosis. I’ve been on dialysis for many years and have received two transplants in the process, but perhaps more stressful than dialysis has been paying for all my healthcare expenses. I’ve relied on private insurance for much of my ESRD journey. After my second transplant, I had private insurance that proved essential once my transplant failed and I needed to stay in the hospital. I eventually transitioned to Medicare, but did not qualify for Medicaid, and Medicare only pays [...]