I’ve been living with kidney failure since 2019. Like so many Californians, I’ve faced more than just one diagnosis—diabetes, high blood pressure, gastroparesis, gout—and even the amputation of my foot due to sepsis. Dialysis, an intensive treatment done three times per week to keep me alive, has permanently affected my life.
But I’ve fought every step of the way to stay strong and keep pursuing my goals. I returned to school at age 37, majoring in nutrition and dietetics to learn how food could help heal my body. I plan on pursuing another degree in sociology as well.
Unfortunately, thousands of Californians under 65 living with kidney failure like me face unnecessary financial distress as well. I’m advocating for them because Medicare alone doesn’t cover all of our dialysis expenses. I rely on Medi-Cal, but the thousands of people who don’t qualify need affordable “Medigap” plans to help supplement Medicare.
California does not guarantee affordable Medigap for dialysis patients who are under the age of 65, and that must change. No one should be forced to choose between staying healthy and staying financially afloat.
That’s why I’m urging my lawmakers, Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa-Bogh (R-Yucaipa) and Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), to support SB 242. This bill would finally allow Californians under 65 with kidney failure to buy Medigap coverage—bringing critical protections to those already fighting for their lives.
Eliseo Morales, Santa Maria, California
