Dialysis brings a lot of challenges, but one of the biggest is simply getting the coverage you need. The treatments make it very challenging for patients like me to work a traditional job, which means many of us do not have employer-sponsored insurance and rely on Medicare. If it doesn’t cover a specific medication or treatment, we have no choice but to pay out-of-pocket or get an expensive supplementary plan.
That could change with a new bill called the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act. It would expand Medigap coverage to patients under 65 with end-stage renal disease, meaning more people could get the care they need at affordable rates.
This would be a massive boost to the many dialysis patients who also have other conditions like diabetes or heart disease, which require their own doctors, treatments, and medications. Those costs add up and without the right coverage, many patients just can’t afford it. That’s why bills like this are so important.
Discussions around coverage should always prioritize patient needs and involve our voices. This bill is a great place to start, and ensure every patient receives the coverage they need for medicine and treatments. I hope Rep. John Garamendi, Sens. Diane Feinstein and Alex Padilla, and our other members of Congress help pass it.
Dori Wolf, Woodland, California
