In 2022 the National Kidney Foundation and Voices for Kidney Health advocates from across the country worked together to advance a policy agenda that ensures better care for the kidney patient community at the local, state, and federal levels. While there were many successes to be proud of, here are our top 10 most influential policy changes of 2022.
The House increased funding for kidney-related research and prevention programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Their appropriations bill would:
Eight states passed Living Donor Protection laws, two more approved bills to establish Chronic Kidney Disease task forces, and Delaware passed legislation to give tax breaks to living organ donors. Keep reading about state policy wins.
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The Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN) board unanimously approved the adoption of a race-neutral eGFR calculation for all transplant centers, along with modifying wait times for Black patients evaluated using the race-inclusive formula. Now, all people with kidney disease–regardless of race–will have timely access to the transplant waitlist.
Thanks to NKF’s advocacy, physicians will now get bonus payments when screening people with diabetes for kidney disease. While annual kidney health evaluation in patients with diabetes to determine the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease had previously been recommended, the performance of these tests in patients with diabetes was low.
In October 2022, Medicare launched open enrollment for a new benefit to provide lifetime Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant recipients. The coverage allows more people to access immunosuppressant medication and keep their kidney transplants.
To kick off National Kidney Month in March, advocates from across the country held more than 230 meetings with Members of Congress and their staff during NKF’s ninth annual Kidney Patient Summit.
This yearly event represents a unique opportunity for the kidney disease community to:
NKF advocated for and supported the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which included provisions to limit out-of-pocket prescription expenses under Medicare Part D. It also allows Medicare to negotiate for higher-priced drugs.
NKF advised lawmakers and commented on more than 15 kidney-related policy and regulatory proposals.
Advocates endorsed:
As passionate proponents for health equity, NKF successfully lobbied the Health and Human Services (HHS) Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability to allow people who are HIV+ to receive organs from donors who are HIV+.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) decided to expand medically necessary dental procedures in Medicare. The new coverage reduces financial and emotional burdens for transplant recipients as they will no longer need to worry about the risk of oral infection or dental complications before or during transplantation.
Thank you to all the advocates, families, and professionals who have dedicated their time to advance change across state and federal governments. We look forward to seeing what you’ll accomplish in the new year.
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