I was 14 when my father was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease, or kidney failure. I witnessed the suffering, anxiety, and helplessness the disease brought upon my family. I also witnessed the financial burden of medical bills, which became unaffordable once my father was forced off of his marketplace insurance. Traditionally, private insurance companies cover dialysis for 30 months after an individual starts treatment, providing patients with the opportunity to focus on their health rather than worrying about their finances. However, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakens these protections, which could lead to more insurers kicking kidney failure [...]

Kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), affects Americans of all ages. I was 14 years old when I received my diagnosis. I’ve been on dialysis for many years and have received two transplants in the process, but perhaps more stressful than dialysis has been paying for all my healthcare expenses. I’ve relied on private insurance for much of my ESRD journey. After my second transplant, I had private insurance that proved essential once my transplant failed and I needed to stay in the hospital. I eventually transitioned to Medicare, but did not qualify for Medicaid, and Medicare only pays [...]

At 20 years old, I was diagnosed with end stage renal disease (ESRD), or kidney failure. Two years later, I began receiving dialysis. I was employed upon diagnosis, but lost my job before beginning dialysis. I began dialysis on Medicare. Since Medicare only covers 80%, and my disability income disqualified me from Medicaid, I could not cover the remaining 20%. I went deep into medical debt just to survive. Six years of dialysis, a kidney transplant and 15 years later, I can now say that I am out of debt. I became a nurse, received an MBA, worked hard, and [...]