To the editor: I’ve had kidney troubles ever since I was born. It’s been exhausting managing my health care needs. It became even harder when I began dialysis, the only treatment for kidney failure besides a transplant. Taking care of my health while fulfilling my responsibilities as a mother and a business owner was overwhelming. If you or a loved one have had intensive medical needs, you know how incredibly hard daily life becomes. Eventually, I was able to receive a kidney transplant — only because I have private insurance in addition to Medicare. It’s unconscionable that dialysis patients without [...]

One day, I began feeling very tired and felt short-of-breath. Next thing I knew, I awoke in the hospital and received the diagnosis of End Stage Renal Disease, or kidney failure. I immediately needed to undergo dialysis, the three times per week treatment which filters my blood. I received dialysis treatments for five years in order to stay alive, before receiving a kidney transplant in 2016. Unfortunately, many dialysis patients struggle to pay for their all of their health care expenses, which often puts transplant out of reach for many. Thankfully, I qualified for Medicare and Medicaid. However, many patients [...]

When I was serving as my father’s caregiver through his dialysis treatments, I was struck by how difficult it can be to navigate the health insurance landscape. I was constantly on the phone with Medicare and the VA to ensure he was covered. Dialysis is an essential treatment that extends someone’s life and keeps them healthy, which is why it shouldn’t be hard to get proper coverage. Yet instead of becoming easier for patients, it’s getting even more complicated. The Supreme Court recently ruled that private insurers may no longer have to provide full coverage for dialysis treatments, even though [...]

I urge U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) to support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act. This legislation allows new dialysis patients to keep their private insurance, a critical financial lifeline, for their initial months of care. Dialysis is the only treatment for those awaiting a kidney transplant. However, a recent Supreme Court decision enables private insurers to weaken coverage in the first months of care, essentially pushing patients onto Medicare prematurely. This shift places enormous burdens on patients who need stability during a challenging time when they are often focused on just trying to keep their jobs. I was [...]

Americans should never be punished for having a debilitating illness. Unfortunately, that’s what happens to people like me with illnesses such as End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), otherwise known as kidney failure. ESRD changed my life. Paying for ESRD treatment, whether it was dialysis (the treatment which works in place of kidneys) or transplant, both of which I experienced, proved to be extremely difficult. I had to rely on Cobra, Medicare, and Medicaid, and I struggled to pay for life-saving treatment. For other ESRD patients, they face financial burdens because private insurers are allowed to kick them off their insurance. [...]