As a leader in the Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania, I see how much financial concerns weigh on the hearts of kidney patients. People become overwhelmed by the out-of-pocket costs of dialysis treatment, and that stress can become too much, worsening health outcomes. We need to make it easier for dialysis patients to pay for treatment. They have productive lives to live – they just need the tools to live them.

Private insurance is often a golden ticket for dialysis patients, helping cover most, if not all, of the costs of dialysis treatment. My husband, a former dialysis patient, had great private insurance coverage, which covered his treatment costs until he received a transplant.
After a Supreme Court decision, others may not be so lucky. They recently ruled that private providers can weaken coverage before patients’ inevitable transition to Medicare, which is usually 30 months after beginning treatment – leaving patients without full access to treatments and medication.
I have a message for Congressman Scott Perry: support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act, which would allow dialysis patients to keep their private insurance for 30 months after beginning treatment. Congressman Perry can help new dialysis patients focus on their health, not their bills.

Lynne Wright, Hampden Township, Pennsylvania

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