Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Scott Brown (R-MA) have introduced legislation into the Senate to grant all transplant recipients Medicare immunosupressant drug coverage for life. This will help all transplant recipients pay for and keep their new kidneys, leading to happier, healthier, longer lives.
This is incredibly important legislation. As I've mentioned here before, covering a transplant patient can costs up to $20k a year - that is a lot of money. However, covering a dialysis patient costs upwards of $77k a year - that is a lot more money. The amount of savings per patient is astronomical. Just look at this "hypothetical" patient the Political News discusses:
The effects of the disparity in coverage are evidenced in the hypothetical case of a young woman. A 26 year old woman living with ESRD would have lifelong dialysis covered by Medicare at $77,500/year. Medicare would cover the cost of a transplant at $110,000/transplant. The immunosuppressive drugs she would need to ensure the organ is not rejected by her body are only covered for 36 months and the drugs are far less costly at $10,000 to $20,000/year. Without immunosuppressive drugs to keep kidney transplants from being rejected, many patients find themselves right back where they started: in need of a kidney. This circular cycle of care is costing taxpayers a lot of money and putting thousands of lives at risk.
Doesn't that person sound familiar? Yeah, she sounds a lot like me. This could happen to me if this legislation is not passed. And I am not giving up my kidney - my aunt gave it to me, I have to defend it.
This legislation has been defeated twice before - we cannot, we must not, let it be defeated again. It is a truly bipartisan effort, a cost-saving, life-saving measure that we cannot afford to lose. Big Dialysis (yes, that is a thing) will try to stop it, but if you call/email/tweet your congressperson and senator, we can help pass this crucial legislation.
Act today! I know I, and all the other transplant recipients out there, will appreciate it forever.
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