One day, I began feeling very tired and felt short-of-breath. Next thing I knew, I awoke in the hospital and received the diagnosis of End Stage Renal Disease, or kidney failure.
I immediately needed to undergo dialysis, the three times per week treatment which filters my blood. I received dialysis treatments for five years in order to stay alive, before receiving a kidney transplant in 2016.
Unfortunately, many dialysis patients struggle to pay for their all of their health care expenses, which often puts transplant out of reach for many. Thankfully, I qualified for Medicare and Medicaid. However, many patients don’t qualify for Medicaid. They often depend on their private insurance during the beginning months of care, and then transfer to Medicare. However, Medicare only covers 80% of the cost, and paying the remaining 20% out-of-pocket is enough to bankrupt most!
On top of that, a recent Supreme Court ruling weakens previous patient protections, which is leading to private insurers pushing new dialysis patients off of their plans faster than ever. I have a friend going through this who is forced to choose between buying groceries or paying for her medications.
Congressman Trent Kelly (R-MS) should support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act. This legislation would allow new dialysis patients to keep their private insurance in those crucial beginning months of care, relieving unnecessary financial stress for vulnerable ESRD patients.
Regards,
Dortha Pugh-Thompson, Lamar, Mississippi
