My wife was diagnosed with kidney failure in January of 2022. I was her primary caregiver until she passed away in June of this year. Now, I dedicate my time advocating for Americans with kidney disease. A pressing problem facing kidney patients in America is the difficulty paying for dialysis, which keeps patients alive. It can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars without insurance. When my wife started dialysis, we had Medicare, but Medicare only covers 80%. We have a private insurance plan to supplement Medicare, which helped immensely. For patients with private insurance when beginning dialysis, keeping that insurance [...]

Ten years ago while working for an airline my life changed. I was diagnosed with kidney failure, and I learned I'd need dialysis to survive. Eight years of dialysis and a transplant later, I am writing now to advocate for kidney patients everywhere. For three years, I received dialysis in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Despite initial difficulties, my dialysis care was relatively seamless. When I returned to the United States, Medicare required that I submit a plethora of paperwork. I had to pay out-of-pocket for more than 18 months while waiting for Medicare. Dialysis should not be more affordable in [...]