FacebookXYouTubeInstagramLinkedIn

Senators, Please Support Dialysis Bill to Restore Protections

2026-05-05T16:44:40+00:00April 25th, 2026|Categories: Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Patient Stories in the News, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security|

After 18 years on dialysis and nearly four years post-transplant, I have seen firsthand what happens when dialysis patients don’t have the insurance protections they need. As a longtime patient advocate, I’ve watched others struggle through a system that too often pulls the rug out from under people at their most vulnerable. Historically, there’s been legal protections allowing dialysis patients to stay on their private insurance for 30 months before switching to Medicare. That protection was a lifeline. It gave patients a real window to stabilize, navigate their treatment, and potentially receive a transplant before being forced onto Medicare. Without [...]

Read More

Proposed legislation would keep dialysis patients connected to care

2026-05-05T16:45:07+00:00April 13th, 2026|Categories: Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Patient Stories in the News, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Spotlight|

As someone who has been on dialysis for over two decades, I know that access to consistent, affordable care is not optional; it's life or death. Kidney disease almost cost me my life. I spend over a month in the hospital when I was first diagnosed, and dialysis is what allowed me to rebuild my strength and survive. A previous kidney transplant eventually failed, and today I'm back on dialysis and at the top of Colorado's transplant list. Dialysis takes a massive physical and mental toll. Some days, simply getting through treatment feels like a full-time job. Despite the challenges, [...]

Read More

Improving Kidney Health Hearing

2026-03-25T18:42:19+00:00March 25th, 2026|Categories: Article, Increase Quality of Care, Innovation, News, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

Last week, The Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on “Improving Kidney Health Through Better Prevention and Innovative Treatment”. Witnesses included Ashli Littleton, a 36-year-old Medicare beneficiary with ESRD; Suzanne Watnick, MD FASN, a nephrologist and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology at the University of Washington; Robert Taylor, MD, a nephrologist and Chief Medical Officer of Dialysis Clinic, Inc.; and John Butler, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akebia since 2013. During the hearing, the witnesses and Members of Congress highlighted many of the struggles ESRD patients face and the need for more innovation [...]

Read More

Letter: Protect dialysis coverage

2026-05-28T14:09:05+00:00March 17th, 2026|Categories: Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Patient Stories in the News, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Spotlight|

Since coming to Congress, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, has worked across party lines to help our community. I hope she’ll do so again by helping ensure that Washington’s kidney disease patients, of which I am one, don’t go into financial ruin. After a recent Supreme Court ruling, private insurance companies are now able to push dialysis patients off their coverage and onto Medicare prematurely. Previously, if someone had private insurance when they got diagnosed with kidney failure and started dialysis, they could keep their full coverage for up to 30 months. This ensured that patients could focus on starting [...]

Read More

Urge Your Members of Congress to Cosponsor H.R. 2199/S. 1173 – The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act

2026-02-18T21:00:25+00:00January 5th, 2026|Categories: Article, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Take Action|

Last year, The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act was introduced by Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Neal Dunn, MD (R-FL), Danny Davis (D-IL), John Joyce, MD (R-PA) and Raul Ruiz, MD (D-CA) as well as Senators Bill Cassidy MD (R-LA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).  This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would restore protections for ESRD patients and allow them to stay on the insurance coverage of their choice for up to 30 months.  While all ESRD patients are eligible for Medicare, allowing a patient to choose to stay on their private insurance would [...]

Read More

Giving Thanks

2025-11-25T18:09:52+00:00November 25th, 2025|Categories: About DPC, Advance Patient Choice, Article, Dialysis Funding, Get Involved, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Innovation, News, Patient Ambassadors, Patient's Voice, Policy Issues, Press, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care, Treatment Options|

As we approach Thanksgiving this week, DPC would like to take a moment to thank all of our phenomenal Board Members, Patient Ambassadors, and kidney advocates for sharing their stories and fighting to improve the quality of life for dialysis and kidney transplant patients nationwide. DPC Board Members Hasan Artharee and Ken Stephens recently shared videos on their kidney journeys and two important pieces of legislation that are currently in Congress that would have a major impact on patient quality of life. As a fourth-generation PKD patient and the third in his family to undergo dialysis, Hasan knows firsthand the challenges [...]

Read More

DPC’s 2025 Advocacy Day

2026-02-18T21:00:09+00:00July 23rd, 2025|Categories: About DPC, Advance Patient Choice, Article, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

Last week, DPC hosted our annual Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. where we bring together patients, family members, and care givers to meet with their Members of Congress to elevate the patient story for dialysis patients. This year we had 36 advocates attend, representing 24 states, who had over 80 Congressional meetings. Our patients spoke to their congressional leaders and encouraged their support for the Restore Act (H.R. 2199/S. 1173) and for the Kidney Care Access Protection Act (KCAPA), which is expected to be introduced soon. In doing so, they helped to elevate the voices of the ESRD community nationwide. [...]

Read More

Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds Introduction of Bipartisan Legislation Restoring Protections for Dialysis Patients

2025-03-31T14:14:05+00:00March 31st, 2025|Categories: Article, News, Press Release, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 30, 2025) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), the leading advocacy organization for dialysis patients nationwide, today released the following statement applauding the introduction of the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (S. 1173/H.R. 2199) to restore access to critical health insurance coverage for patients who choose it. The bill was introduced in the Senate by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and it was introduced in the House by Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Danny Davis (D-IL), John Joyce (R-PA), and Raul Ruiz (D-CA). “On [...]

Read More

Building Momentum: DPC’s Growing Patient Ambassador Network

2025-02-27T15:04:29+00:00February 10th, 2025|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Policy Issues, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care, State Advocacy|

By Yolonda Brisbane, DPC Grassroots Manager Since I began my role as Grassroots Manager for Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) in April 2022, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the growth of something truly special—the Patient Ambassador Program. This network of DPC members from across the country is dedicated to amplifying their voices and making a real difference. Turning personal health challenges and difficult experiences into action, they advocate for better care for the kidney patient community. In addition to their ongoing advocacy efforts, DPC Patient Ambassadors take part in Advocacy Day in Washington, DC, meeting with lawmakers to push for positive [...]

Read More

Letter: Dialysis patients deserve better

2025-01-16T18:28:37+00:00October 4th, 2024|Categories: Patient Stories in the News, Private Insurance Coverage, Spotlight|

I remember being diagnosed with kidney disease in 2012 and beginning peritoneal dialysis in 2014. It was an undoubtedly difficult period in my life. Fortunately, I could continue working full time, which allowed me to keep my private insurance. Although Medicare became my primary plan, my private insurance covered 20% of the bill that Medicare did not. My private insurance also broadened my access to treatments and medications. Most patients on dialysis are not well enough to continue working and rely entirely on public assistance. Patients must pay 20% of the bill in states without an affordable Medigap plan to [...]

Read More
Toggle Sliding Bar Area
Go to Top