Policy Patrol: Advocating for Systemic Change

 Introduced in late 2025, this bipartisan legislation aims to modernize Medicare to keep up with rising costs and technological innovations in kidney care. 

• Key Provisions:
  • Sustainable Payment: Ensures Medicare reimbursements for dialysis providers remain sustainable and accurate.
  • Innovation Access: Creates a long-term, permanent Medicare payment pathway for new drugs, devices, and technologies.
  • Preventive Care: Expands Medicare annual wellness benefits to include kidney disease screening.
  • Patient Education: Increases access to Medicare kidney disease education benefits. 

 This bill aims to remove barriers for living organ donors—the fastest way to increase the kidney transplant supply—by providing protections against discrimination. 

• Key Provisions:
  • Insurance Protection: Prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from declining coverage, limiting coverage, or charging higher premiums to living organ donors.
  • FMLA Codification: Formally codifies that organ donation is protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), allowing donors to take time off to recover without losing their jobs.