Check out our Patient Ambassador Spotlight, where we highlight members who elevate the voices of people with kidney disease.
This month’s Spotlight is on Lisa Baxter from Jamaica, New York.
Kidney disease runs in Lisa’s family, so she knew that she had a high chance of experiencing kidney failure. In 2004 she received her official diagnosis and began dialysis shortly after that.
When she was first diagnosed, Lisa relied on employer-provided private insurance to cover her healthcare expenses. After two years, she transitioned to Medicare, and currently relies on Medicare and private insurance. Although she consistently pays high premiums out-of-pocket, private insurance has allowed her to manage her condition while working.
A recent Supreme Court decision has opened the door for private insurers to water down protections for dialysis patients, though, weakening coverage and leaving them with fewer options. The traditional model that patients rely on — 30 months of coverage before moving to Medicare — is in jeopardy.
Lisa urges Congressman Gregory W. Meeks to support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (H.R. 6860/ S. 5018), legislation that would guarantee new dialysis patients could keep full private coverage for the first 30 months of care. After her own experience starting dialysis and being able to rely on private insurance, Lisa knows just how valuable it is for patients in order to be able to focus on their health and not worry right away about paying the remaining 20% of costs that Medicare does not cover.
Patient Ambassadors represent DPC by serving as leaders in their community and local dialysis facilities. Learn more about this critical role and make a difference in the lives of dialysis patients by applying for DPC's Patient Ambassador program.
