Those with a sudden and serious illness that requires immediate medical attention are called “crash” patients. My husband Raymond was a crash patient when he was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease, or kidney failure. Luckily, Raymond had private insurance, so he didn’t have to worry much about the cost of his life-saving dialysis treatments when he started.
Eventually, dialysis patients transition to Medicare as their primary coverage within 30 months after beginning treatment. Yet now, a Supreme Court ruling from last year leaves room for private insurers to weaken dialysis coverage in that initial 30-month period. This could push dialysis patients onto Medicare too quickly and add the stress of changing insurance plans to an already stressful time in their lives.
Congressman Ruben Gallego must fight to pass the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act, which would secure full private dialysis coverage in the first 30 months of treatment. Congressman Gallego, please put yourself in patients’ shoes.
Analyn Scott, Laveen, Arizona
