Kidney patients need protections restored

I was 14 when my father was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease, or kidney failure. I witnessed the suffering, anxiety, and helplessness the disease brought upon my family.

I also witnessed the financial burden of medical bills, which became unaffordable once my father was forced off of his marketplace insurance.

Traditionally, private insurance companies cover dialysis for 30 months after an individual starts treatment, providing patients with the opportunity to focus on their health rather than worrying about their finances. However, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakens these protections, which could lead to more insurers kicking kidney failure patients off of their private coverage.

The ban on pre-existing conditions, prevents insurers from canceling patients who are diagnosed with cancer, diabetes or any other health condition. As a dialysis patient, we only used to get 30 months protection since we were eligible for Medicare. As the son of a dialysis patient and a kidney patient advocate, I have spoken with families of dialysis patients who could not afford to lose their private insurance when beginning treatment, knowing that without it, they would face financial ruin.

As an advocate, I feel obligated to tell our leaders in Washington to take action.

I urge our congressmen to listen to their constituents and fight to pass the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act, which would protect thousands of dialysis patients in their initial 30-month coverage window.

Kaysan Rattani

Schaumburg