I’ve lived with kidney failure since birth. After several transplants, I’ve now been on dialysis for 36 years, which is the only treatment besides a
transplant for kidney failure. It’s not something you can skip. It’s a life-or-death treatment.
That’s why I’m urging Congress to pass the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act. This H.R. 2199 bill would ensure new dialysis patients can keep their private insurance for 30 months, a protection we used to have until a recent Supreme Court decision determined what health care we can receive.
Private insurance gives patients better options, essential in those initial months of care. I’ve been fortunate to have Blue Cross and Blue Shield coverage through my career at the United States Postal Service. This coverage has allowed me to afford better medications, dialysis, and travel from Iowa to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for specialized care, something Medicaid would never have covered.
Yet a recent Supreme Court decision opens the door for private insurers to push vulnerable dialysis patients off of their plans prematurely, leading to worsening health and financial outcomes, which includes transplant outcomes.
I hope Rep. Ashley Hinson will support dialysis patients and co-sponsor this H.R. 2199 bill.
Kendra Deike, Plainfield, Iowa
