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August 28, 2025

Check out our Patient Ambassador Spotlight, where we highlight members who elevate the voices of people with kidney disease.

This month’s Spotlight is on Kahala Adams from Jacksonville, Florida.

Kahala was first diagnosed with kidney disease in 2016 due to a family history of high blood pressure. She came off dialysis for a few years after weight loss surgery, but in 2023, her kidneys failed again. She was forced to stop teaching, a job she loved, due to having too many doctors’ appointments and too many sick days.

She lost her private insurance and, because her husband makes $430 a week, Medicaid turned her down. With Medicare only covering 80% of her treatments costs, Kahala has to pay over $500 every few months just to stay afloat. When she loses her disability benefits later this year, paying those bills may become impossible.

Kahala knows from firsthand experience that too many patients fall through the cracks. Many are forced off private plans too soon, even if they continue working, and they’re often left with crushing debt. That’s why she is urging her representative, Rep. Aaron Bean to cosponsor the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act. This bill would let patients keep their private insurance for the first 30 months of dialysis, a previous protection threatened by a recent Supreme Court case. Those 30 months mean less stress, better care, higher transplant odds, and — most importantly — a chance to plan for a drastic change in lifestyle.

Patient Ambassadors represent DPC by serving as leaders in their community and local dialysis facilities. Learn more about this critical role and make a difference in the lives of dialysis patients by applying for DPC's Patient Ambassador program.

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