Advocates from Across the U.S Convene for Virtual Kidney Patient Summit

By creator to www.prnewswire.com

Advocates representing almost all 50 states will share their tales and urge their Congressional delegations to assist public coverage priorities that advance kidney illness prevention, early detection, remedy, analysis and entry to transplants, together with dwelling organ donation.

Actor, activist, and entrepreneur Wilmer Valderrama will lead a digital briefing for Congressional employees on September 16^th on the affect of kidney illness to Hispanic communities and can meet individually with Members of Congress to emphasize the significance of insurance policies that promote kidney well being. Valderrama is serving as a nationwide spokesperson for the “Are You the 33%?” marketing campaign, which is obtainable in English and in Spanish, and focuses on the 33 p.c of adults within the U.S. in danger for creating harmful, life-threatening kidney illness. Threat elements embody diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and household historical past of kidney illness. Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino individuals are additionally at larger danger of creating kidney illness.

Throughout their particular person conferences with Members of Congress and employees, Kidney Affected person Summit advocates will particularly be asking policymakers to:

Go the Complete Immunosuppressive Drug Protection for Kidney Transplant Sufferers Act (HR 5534/S.3353) which extends Medicare protection of immunosuppressive medicine for kidney transplant sufferers past the 36-month cut-off at the moment in place to cowl medicines for the lifetime of the transplant;
Improve funding for kidney illness analysis and packages together with a nationwide Kidney Threat Marketing campaign to achieve the undiagnosed who’re unaware they’re affected by kidney illness. An estimated 37 million adults within the U.S. are affected by kidney illness however 90% are unaware they even have it. Many sufferers do not be taught they’ve kidney illness till their kidneys have already failed. Early prognosis may also help stave off the lethal issues of this illness together with dialysis and kidney transplant; and
Go the Residing Donor Safety Act (S. 511 and H.R. 1224), which prohibits insurance coverage firms from denying or limiting life, incapacity and long-term care insurance coverage to dwelling donors and from charging larger premiums, and in addition ensures job protections for organ donors who must take medical go away for organ donation and restoration after surgical procedure.

The Kidney Affected person Summit is targeted on people who’ve kidney illness, dialysis sufferers, dwelling donors, members of the family and caregivers, all united by the affirmation and hashtag “My Kidneys, My Life“ (#MyKidneysMyLife) to underscore the direct relationship between having not less than one wholesome kidney and dwelling in any respect. Advocates will emphasize this message throughout private conferences with their Congressional delegations on Tuesday, September 16^th.

“I am repeatedly impressed by our advocates, who assist push for laws to enhance the lives of the 37 million adults within the U.S. dwelling with kidney illness,” mentioned Kevin Longino, CEO of the Nationwide Kidney Basis and a kidney transplant affected person. “Annually, the Kidney Affected person Summit offers a voice to sufferers, and those that take care of them, as they converse personally to their Congressional delegations to verify they don’t seem to be forgotten. This 12 months, greater than ever earlier than, we should stress the significance of kidney well being and the distinctive danger and burden kidney sufferers face with COVID-19. ”

The Summit formally opens Tuesday, September 15^th with digital coaching conferences for NKF advocates, their households, and care companions, who will use their collective experiences associated to kidney illness to champion NKF’s legislative priorities.

On Wednesday, September 16^th advocates will attend digital conferences with Members of Congress and their staffs and can take part in a digital Congressional briefing, “Kidney Well being and the Hispanic Group: Are You the 33%?” from 12:30 to 1:30 pm EST that includes Wilmer Valderrama, Sylvia E. Rosas, MD, MSCE, nephrologist and epidemiologist on the Joslin Diabetes Heart and the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, MA, Director of the Latino Kidney Clinic at Joslin Diabetes Heart and Affiliate Professor of Drugs at Harvard Medical Faculty; and affected person advocate Maria Grijalva, kidney transplant recipient from California.

Study extra details about the Kidney Patient Summit at advocacy.kidney.org

Kidney Illness Information
In america, 37 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease—and roughly 90 p.c do not know they’ve it. 1 in three adults within the U.S. are in danger for persistent kidney illness. Threat elements for kidney illness embody: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and household historical past. Individuals of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Different Pacific Islander descent are at elevated danger for creating the illness. Blacks or African Individuals are virtually four occasions extra doubtless than White Individuals to have kidney failure. Hispanics are 1.three occasions extra doubtless than non-Hispanics to have kidney failure.

The Nationwide Kidney Basis (NKF) is the most important, most complete, and longstanding patient-centric group devoted to the notice, prevention, and remedy of kidney illness within the U.S. For extra details about NKF, go to www.kidney.org.

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SOURCE The Nationwide Kidney Basis