My husband and I have end stage renal disease, or kidney failure, and depend on dialysis to survive. It is difficult for Texans in similar situations to afford lifesaving dialysis, especially people who don’t qualify for

My husband and I have end stage renal disease, or kidney failure, and depend on dialysis to survive. It is difficult for Texans in similar situations to afford lifesaving dialysis, especially people who don’t qualify for Medicare covers only 80% of dialysis costs, leaving many patients responsible for the rest. It can cost thousands of dollars a year without proper coverage.

Supplemental insurance plans called Medigap can help fill the gap that Medicare leaves open. However, Medigap plans remain unaffordable for dialysis patients younger than 65.

To fix this, Texas must guarantee affordable Medigap access for dialysis patients. State Sen. Jose Menendez and Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer should support
House Bill 2516 to provide affordable access to Medigap for all dialysis patients, regardless of age.

Natalie Zuniga, San Antonio, Texas

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