ASN is collaborating with the broader kidney and transplant communities in advocacy efforts to pass the bipartisan Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act (H.R. 5534/S. 3353).
Currently, Medicare only covers immunosuppressive medications for three years after transplantation. Transplant patients who lose Medicare coverage and are no longer able to access vital immunosuppressive medications are at risk of losing their transplant and returning to dialysis.
The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act would permanently remove the three-year limit from Medicare, extend Medicare’s coverage of immunosuppressive medications beyond the current limit when the individual has no other coverage, and ultimately save lives.
The Department of Health and Human Services has predicted that extending Medicare’s coverage of immunosuppressive medication would also result in significant savings to Medicare by diverting patients from costly dialysis—a treatment that is 300% more expensive.
ASN will continue to advocate for the legislation’s passage on behalf of the more than 700,000 Americans with kidney failure and continue to provide updates to the ASN membership.
