SUPPORT HR 4616 & S 2584 THE LIVING DONOR PROTECTION ACT

SUPPORT THE LIVING DONOR ACT!

PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION: https://www.change.org/p/support-hr-4616-s-2584-the-living-donor-protection-act

Please help advance new bipartisan legislation that would eliminate barriers to living donation and help increase access to lifesaving transplants. barriers to living donation and help increase access to lifesaving transplants.

• Kidney health providers and patients commend Congress for today’s introduction of the Living Donor Protection Act of 2016 and urge its swift passage to help the more than 100,000 Americans currently waiting for a kidney transplant.

• THE NEW LEGISLATION COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE MEDICARE BETWEEN $565 MILLION AND $1.2 BILLION OVER 10 YEARS.

Every 14 minutes a patient is added to the kidney waitlist and 12 Americans die every day waiting for a kidney transplant

Newswise — Washington, DC (February 25, 2016) — The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is one of 16 kidney patient and health professional organizations joining together to commend Congress for introducing new bipartisan legislation to increase access to lifesaving kidney transplants.

“ASN commends Rep. Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Burgess (R-TX), Sen. Kirk (R-IL), and Sen. Gillibrand (D-NY) for their leadership in introducing the Living Donor Protection Act of 2015. More than 20 million Americans have kidney disease, and transplantation is the optimal therapy for most patients whose kidneys fail,” said ASN President Raymond C. Harris, MD, FASN. “ASN is proud to endorse this important legislation, which will help eliminate barriers and increase access to transplantation.”

The bipartisan Living Donor Protection Act of 2016 introduced in both houses of Congress today would help increase access to kidney transplants by:
• Protecting Donors: The bill prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurers from denying or limiting coverage or from charging higher premiums to living organ donors
• Securing Jobs: The legislation clarifies that living organ donors can use FMLA time to recover from donation surgery and maintain their job security
• Educating Americans: The bill directs HHS to educate Americans about living organ donation

“More than 100,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant,” said ASN Secretary-Treasurer and Public Policy Board Chair John R. Sedor, MD, FASN. “Congress can help them by enacting commonsense legislation that promotes organ donations by ensuring insurance coverage and job security for donors.”

Many patients will die waiting for a kidney transplant. In 2014, 101,168 patients were on the waiting list for a kidney but only 17,106 transplants were performed. Transplantation is the optimal therapy for most people with kidney failure, and on average is a more cost effective treatment compared to hemodialysis.

If the Living Donor Act increases donation by 536 donors (10% of the number of living donor transplants in 2014) every year for 10 years, the Medicare program could save between $565 million and $1.2 billion.

16 kidney health organizations urged Congress to support this legislation during the 2015 Kidney Community Advocacy Day. Their efforts helped garner Senate sponsorship for the bill and propel the vital legislation’s introduction in both houses of Congress.

To learn more about the Living Donor Act of 2015, please visit https://www.asn-online.org/policy/ and follow #LivingDonorAct on Twitter.

Kidney Health Organizations Advancing the Living Donor Act of 2016
• Alport Syndrome Foundation
• American Association of Kidney Patients
• American Kidney Fund
• American Nephrology Nurses Association
• American Society of Nephrology
• American Society of Pediatric Nephrology
• American Society of Transplant Surgeons
• American Society of Transplantation
• Home Dialyzors United
• IGA Nephropathy Foundation of America
• National Kidney Foundation
• National Renal Administrators Association
• NephCure Kidney International
• Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation
• Polycycstic Kidney Disease Foundation
• Society for Transplant Social Workers

**EXPERT AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT**
ASN Secretary-Treasurer John R. Sedor, MD, FASN is available to discuss the Living Donor Protection Act of 2016. Please contact Kurtis Pivert at 202-699-0238 or kpivert@asn-online.org to arrange interviews.

KIDNEY STORIES: ALVIN AWAITS

Alvin is a devoted son, brother, uncle, counselor, and patriarch of the Salima home. As a husband, Alvin is unparalleled, according to his wife, Candace. They have been married for nearly 18 years, and hope to have another 20 at minimum. Unfortunately, Alvin has end stage renal failure (kidney failure) and requires a kidney transplant. He is on three separate lists right now and is anticipated to be at the top of the list somewhere in the next one to six months. Alvin still works fulltime, so he is fully insured. However, there are the expected expenses of the surgery, take home medications, and aftercare.

Alvin is the favorite uncle of his nephews and nieces. He is an active uncle and relishes the time spent with each of them. Family is everything to Alvin, and even with his health challenges he does his best to spend what time he can with those he loves.

Alvin’s work experience with at-risk youth spans over 27 years. He has served in many capacities as a supervisor, program manager, facilitator and trainer, but by far his most rewarding work is direct contact with young people as a mentor and counselor. Occasionally, Alvin receives calls and letters from men and women he was able to reach and effect positive change when they were considered troubled youth. Alvin continues his direct work with young people as a treatment counselor for the Juvenile Justice Services Department in the State of Utah.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alvin-Salima-Awaiting-a-Kidney-Transplant/482995135075912

http://www.alvinsalima.com/aboutalvin.html

www.facebook.com/kidneystories

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