Oct. 10, 2018 marked the start of an incredibly difficult period for my family. That was the day my husband Steve left our home in North Platte to move to North Dakota – more than 10 hours away – just so we could pay for the medical care I needed to fight multiple sclerosis. I was diagnosed with MS more than 20 years ago while working as a registered nurse. Its progression caused changes in my employment – from a clinic nurse and public health nurse to a sedentary position reviewing Medicare files. The disease’s progression eventually forced me to [...]

To the Editor: Life with kidney disease is all I’ve ever known. I was born with this hidden illness and started receiving dialysis treatments at just 25 years old. Over the years, I’ve experienced the various hurdles patients face both as a kidney patient and as someone who is legally blind. Before my kidney transplant in 2018, I did in-center dialysis. As someone who is visually impaired, driving to and from the center wasn’t an option, so I relied on other forms of transportation, which became costly. I’m covered by Medicare and Medicaid for the dialysis itself, but still have [...]

Learning you have kidney disease can be overwhelming, something I found out myself while camping in 2003. It’s hard for patients to get the information they need about living with kidney disease, and for many patients the costs of treatment are excessive. Starting on dialysis brought with it a lot of changes, one of them being that I had to cut back on my working hours. Kidney disease as a whole can make a person weak, and going through dialysis treatments for several hours multiple times a week can take a lot out of you. Because of that, though, I [...]

In October 2016, kidney disease forced me to start dialysis and retire from my career as a firefighter paramedic. This disease runs in my family, with my brother and mother also suffering. I currently require dialysis treatment three times a week and have to travel 72 miles round trip to the center for five-hour-long treatments. Dialysis costs me both time and money. Transporting myself to the center is costly, but it is my only out-of-pocket expense. My treatments are completely covered through both my private insurance and Medicare. However, many patients, such as my brother, are not as fortunate. Medicare [...]

I've had a progressive kidney disease for several years and my doctor eventually referred me to a nephrologist to help manage my kidney health. Fifteen months ago I needed to start dialysis and I am fortunate because the treatments have gone very well. I’ve largely been able to get the coverage I need through Medicare and my supplemental Medigap coverage which pays for what Medicare won’t, outside of three medications that Medicare Part B and Part D doesn’t cover.Sadly, for many patients under 65 this isn’t the case, as they don’t have affordable access to Medigap plans. Lawmakers could help [...]

Finding out I needed to start dialysis two years ago was tough to accept. I’d always been an athlete, so I felt like this wasn’t something I’d have to face. But after low kidney counts for more than 5 years, I had to start treatments. Beyond difficult treatments, the financial burden they come with is enormous. I’m fortunate, however, to have a job at Life Alert Emergency Response that lets me tailor my schedule so I can stay employed and still receive health coverage. However, even between that plan and the secondary coverage I receive through Medicare, my monthly costs [...]