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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Medigap Bill A Welcome Change for Mississippi Dialysis Patients

2024-03-29T01:10:14+00:00August 12th, 2021|Categories: Patient Ambassadors, Patient Stories in the News, Spotlight|

Kristal pictured with her husband, Ernest Higgins. Photo by Cameron B. Potts My kidney transplant failing in 2017 changed my life. I went back on dialysis for the first time since 2012 and was spending more time in the hospital than I had before. Then, I lost my job and the insurance coverage it provided, and I had to go back on Medicare, which didn’t cover the whole cost of dialysis and forced me to pay up to 20 percent of the cost of my treatments. I’m not alone, either. Dialysis patients all over the country struggle to [...]

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Medigap Expansion Bill Vital to Making Treatments Affordable

2024-03-29T01:10:14+00:00July 29th, 2021|Categories: Patient Stories in the News, Spotlight|

Something felt a little off after my daughter was born. I started feeling more exhausted each day after work, and at one point one of my elementary school students even pointed out that I didn’t look well. I had always been perfectly healthy, so I never expected that I’d be diagnosed with kidney disease. But, after a referral to Johns Hopkins for care, doctors started me on dialysis right away. That’s when my long, difficult road with kidney disease began. Shortly after starting dialysis treatments – despite receiving the best care possible – I fell into a 31-day coma that [...]

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Expanding Medigap coverage

2024-03-29T01:10:15+00:00June 21st, 2021|Categories: Patient Ambassadors, Patient Stories in the News, Spotlight|

I first started dialysis just over 20 years ago, and in that time I’ve done both home and in-center dialysis treatments in addition to receiving two kidney transplants. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate enough to have good coverage that kept my treatments affordable. As I’ve met other dialysis patients, I’ve realized just how rare that is. Many people with kidney disease receive their coverage through Medicare and if they are under 65, they can get hit with big bills that they have to pay out-of-pocket if Medicare doesn’t cover the whole cost of their treatment. No one should have [...]

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Former firefighter advocates for fellow renal failure patients

2024-03-29T01:10:15+00:00June 8th, 2021|Categories: Patient Stories in the News, Spotlight|

Former firefighter Terry Peeler of Livingston has released a statement urging Alabama lawmakers to support new bipartisan legislation that offers coverage for dialysis patients. Peeler’s career as a firefighter ended when he was diagnosed with kidney failure. “Starting dialysis in 2016 was unbelievably difficult,” Peeler said. “It brought my career as a firefighter to a sudden halt, and meant I needed to make a 72-mile round trip three times every week to undergo a procedure that takes five hours.” “I was fortunate, though, because the cost was not prohibitive for me,” Peeler explained. “My job provided me with good insurance [...]

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Opinion | Letter: Pass Kidney-care Bill

2024-03-29T01:10:15+00:00June 1st, 2021|Categories: Care Coordination, Patient Ambassadors, Patient's Voice, Spotlight|

By Kristi Flynn of Grovetown, GA I have struggled with kidney disease my entire life. I was diagnosed when I was 7, then started dialysis at 25 before finally receiving a kidney transplant in 2018. Throughout all of this, the role of coordinating care has fallen completely on me, a task I find particularly difficult because I am legally blind. Even within my transplant center, doctors can’t always communicate, and even more frustrating, occasionally change each other’s plans without consulting each other. With a more streamlined approach to care coordination, a lot of these problems could be relieved. Thankfully, Congress is [...]

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Letters: Action Needed to Help Alabama Dialysis Patients

2024-03-29T01:10:16+00:00May 1st, 2021|Categories: Care Coordination, Patient Ambassadors, Patient's Voice, Spotlight|

By Cortney Beavers of Pell City, AL. One of the most difficult moments of my life was finding out that, despite being only 24 years old, my kidney was beginning to fail. After years of dialysis and a kidney transplant, I learned through my experiences in the health care system what needs to be improved. Doctors and nurses need a better care coordination framework to more effectively treat their patients. I had the benefit of working with terrific nurses and other providers who met my needs and communicated well between one another, but unfortunately that’s not the case for every [...]

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Letter: Medigap Expansion Act needs Delaware’s support

2024-03-29T01:10:16+00:00April 13th, 2021|Categories: Patient Ambassadors, Patient Stories in the News, Spotlight|

Life on dialysis is hard. It involves several hours-long treatments every week and puts a major strain on everyone involved. It’s a frustrating process that I wouldn’t have been able to get through without my family. The last thing you want to worry about while going through dialysis is the cost. The treatments already weigh on patients and families both physically and mentally, and no dialysis patient should be forced to fear they will be priced out of life-saving care. That is why it is so important that lawmakers in Washington rally behind the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act, [...]

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Support New Kidney Care Act

2024-03-29T01:11:59+00:00April 1st, 2021|Categories: Care Coordination, Patient Ambassadors, Patient's Voice, Spotlight|

By Antonio Green of Virginia Beach, VA. While working in Abu Dhabi, I found out I had kidney disease and needed to begin dialysis. I was able to continue working abroad for a few more years, but a 2017 trip to the hospital showed me it was time to move back home. Since then, I’ve noticed that a better, more coordinated system is needed to help dialysis patients. Even when I had a care coordinator, I found the system never really worked for me. Whether it was managing medications, doctors’ appointments or even my attempts to get a kidney transplant, [...]

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Dori Wolf: Kidney Care

2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00March 8th, 2021|Categories: Care Coordination, Patient's Voice, Spotlight|

By Dori Wolf of Woodland, CA, DPC Patient Ambassador Finding out I had kidney disease in 1984 forced me to change a lot in my life. Thankfully, due to my work to stay healthy, I was able to avoid needing dialysis until 2007. Starting dialysis was a draining experience that required drastic changes to my diet and exercise habits, despite constantly feeling unwell. However, with the support of my family, I’ve been able to follow doctors’ advice and keep up with treatments. A major frustration, however, has been a lack of coordination in my care. I have 32 allergies to [...]

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The BETTER Kidney Care Act is an important step forward

2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00February 19th, 2021|Categories: Care Coordination, Patient's Voice, Spotlight|

By Bryce Mumford, DPC Patient Ambassador My experience with dialysis extends four years: from when my first kidney transplant failed in 2014 to when I received my second transplant in 2018. During that time, the most frustrating thing I encountered was a lack of care coordination. I bounced between several doctors who treated my various health issues independently. Every doctor’s visit required me to provide my full medical history, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive. This was a burdensome task while still working a full-time job to support my family. However, my treatment center began implementing greater care coordination. This meant [...]

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