Like over 91,000 Californians, my father suffers from end stage renal disease — kidney failure, or ESRD. My father has been receiving dialysis, the only treatment for ESRD besides a kidney transplant, for over 18 years.
Dialysis is a life-consuming, exhausting treatment, but it keeps my father alive. I have served as my father’s part-time caregiver during these years.
Unfortunately, many dialysis patients struggle with their healthcare expenses. Many rely on their employer-provided private insurance, especially during the first months of care, but dialysis treatment can make it very challenging to continue working. Since most receive their diagnosis unexpectedly, having that insurance ensures continuity of care.
My father insisted that he keep his private insurance in addition to his Veteran’s Affairs coverage so that he could choose his doctor. Keeping that insurance also increases his chance of a kidney transplant.
However, a recent Supreme Court decision made it easier for private insurers to weaken coverage for new dialysis patients, pushing them onto Medicare prematurely and imposing medical and financial hurdles in the process.
ESRD patients constitute a small but vulnerable part of the population. Let’s keep them covered. Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA) must support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act, which would prevent insurers from leaving vulnerable ESRD patients hanging.
Jamal Felton, San Diego, California
