Dear Editor:
Kidney failure runs in my family, so I knew that my chances of experiencing kidney failure were high. I received the heartbreaking and scary diagnosis in 2004 and soon after I began dialysis, the sole treatment outside of a kidney transplant. I received a kidney transplant after an exhausting 13 years on dialysis.
When I was first diagnosed, I relied on employer-provided private insurance to cover my healthcare expenses. After two years I transitioned to Medicare, and I currently rely on Medicare and private insurance. Although I consistently pay high premiums out-of-pocket, private insurance has allowed me to manage my condition while working.
However, a recent Supreme Court decision opened the door for private insurers to water down protections for dialysis patients, weakening our coverage and leaving us with fewer options. The traditional model that patients rely on — 30 months of coverage before moving to Medicare — is in jeopardy.
It’s essential that our leaders protect kidney patients. I urge Congressman Gregory W. Meeks to support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act. This legislation would guarantee that new dialysis patients could keep full private coverage for the first 30 months of care.
Lisa Baxter, Jamaica, New York
