Continuing our advocacy work from the Kidney Summit in March, we met with the staff at Senator Diane Feinstein’s office in San Francisco yesterday. State Director Jim Lazarus and Constituent Services Rep Joanne Delgado heard our request for the Senator to support the Living Donor Protection Act and extending immunosuppressive drug coverage for transplant recipients. Yes, you’ve heard me talk about the Living Donor Protection Act quite a bit on this blog. That’s because it takes work and persistent voices to get legislation through.
As of this week there are 67 Representatives in the House who support this bill (Is your Rep one of them?) In the Senate there are 14 co-sponsors, and none of these Senators are from California.
So come on, fellow Californians! Let’s do this! Click here to send a message to Senators Harris and Feinstein and your local Representative in the House to support our living donor heroes!
The Living Donor Protection Act will protect living organ donors and remove barriers to donation by prohibiting insurance companies from denying or limiting life, disability and long-term care insurance to donors, and from charging higher premiums.
The National Kidney Foundation is also asking Congress to extend Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive medication for transplant recipients. By extending this coverage, Medicare saves money by preventing patients from going back onto dialysis which is far more costly.
Hope you’re all enjoying the rest of your summer. Call me for boba!
And congrats to Bay Area Team Red Dawn for third place at the U.S. Open Club Championships in Ultimate frisbee (U20 boys)!
