When I was serving as my father’s caregiver through his dialysis treatments, I was struck by how difficult it can be to navigate the health insurance landscape. I was constantly on the phone with Medicare and the VA to ensure he was covered.
Dialysis is an essential treatment that extends someone’s life and keeps them healthy, which is why it shouldn’t be hard to get proper coverage. Yet instead of becoming easier for patients, it’s getting even more complicated.
The Supreme Court recently ruled that private insurers may no longer have to provide full coverage for dialysis treatments, even though for decades patients were able to keep their private plans for up to 30 months before switching to Medicare as their primary plan. This means patients may have to navigate a new insurance situation while they also navigate their new dialysis treatments.
I hope that Congress stands with Minnesotans by passing the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act to protect the patients’ right to choose private insurance in the early days of treatment.
Ramona Banks, Saint Paul, Minnesota
