Recent Wins for Kidney Health in the US

health care
  • The government is investing $2.3 billion in the NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES (NIDDK) which is part of NIH. to support research that can improve kidney care. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/
  • $4.5 million is going to the CKD initiative at the CDC, which focuses on early education and intervention to help people protect their kidneys and avoid dialysis https://www.cdc.gov/kidney-disease/index.html.  
  • The HRSA ORGAN PROCUREMENT AND TRANSPLANTATION NETWORK (OPTN) received a $5 million boost to modernize the transplant system, aiming to shorten wait times for the 90,000 Americans who need kidney transplantshttps://www.hrsa.gov/optn?from=optn.transplant.hrsa.gov.  
  • New laws and programs, like the HONOR OUR LIVING DONORS (HOLD) Act and the LIVING DONOR REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM (NLDAC), help cover expenses for people who donate a kidney. 

What’s Still Needed

  • The Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA) would protect kidney donors from losing insurance or their jobs and make sure they can take time off work to recover.  
  • Subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are crucial so people can afford health care. Early detection and treatment of kidney disease can prevent a person from ending up on dialysis. I took care of patients on dialysis that wouldn’t have needed it, had they had the diagnosis and treatment needed. Without affordable coverage, many people may miss out on life-saving care. 
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