You may have heard that Congress is considering proposals to cut benefits and limit access to Medicaid, a healthcare benefit that serves over 80 million Americans and provides coverage for long-term care, substance abuse treatment, children with disabilities, and over 40% of all childbirths in the US. THERE IS A HEARING IN CONGRESS TODAY ABOUT THESE PROPOSED CUTS.
Most importantly for us, almost half of kidney failure patients in the US utilize Medicaid to help pay for medications, transportation to dialysis appointments, and payment for dialysis. Medicaid helps patients access early detection and preventative treatment, and data shows that if a kidney disease patient loses insurance coverage, they are 47% more likely to progress to kidney failure within two years. Medicaid also covers transplant and post-transplant medications. Medicaid is an essential healthcare program for kidney patients.
That is why we are asking you to PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY and TELL CONGRESS TO PROTECT MEDICAID. Once you have completed the emails, the phone calls, and the social media posts, please share this alert with your friends and family. We all benefit when patients have access to healthcare and don’t have to rely on expensive and crowded Emergency Rooms for their necessary treatments.
We appreciate you making time to advocate on behalf of kidney patients, and please reach out to us at nkfadvocacy@kidney.org with any questions or concerns.
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