I’m writing not just as a nurse, but as a wife and caregiver. My husband Kenneth was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy at just 20 years old. That disease slowly
damaged his kidneys, leading to kidney failure and the need for dialysis, a treatment that does the work of the kidneys by cleaning the blood when the kidneys can no longer do so.
For the past decade, we’ve built our life around his treatment. We started with peritoneal dialysis at home, which involved using a catheter and fluid exchange to filter his blood overnight while he slept. When that was no longer effective, he transitioned to home hemodialysis, which filters his blood through a machine during the day. Thankfully, Ken recently received a kidney transplant. Through it all, I’ve been by his side, managing his care, preventing infections and falling more deeply in love.
As a kidney patient caregiver and advocate, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Marietta vs. DaVita deeply concerns me. It allows private insurers to design plans that make it harder for new dialysis patients to stay on their insurance. That can disrupt care, cause financial distress, limit provider options, and even jeopardize eligibility for a kidney transplant.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, our beloved congressman, alongside U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Start, can help by cosponsoring the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act. Dialysis patients fight too hard to manage their condition. They shouldn’t have to fight well-deserved insurance coverage as well.
Sheree Stephens, Shreveport, Louisiana
