AAKP is calling for support from Congressional members for S. 2320, the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2007. The bill would extend Medicare coverage for immunosuppressive drugs for the life of the kidney. In letters written to Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), AAKP President Roberta Wager, RN, MSN, and a two-time kidney transplant recipient, asks the Senators to cosponsor S. 2320 and its companion bill in the House of Representatives, HR 3282.
 
"Since Medicare covers the cost of the transplant for end stage renal disease (ESRD) beneficiaries, it only makes sense for Medicare to preserve its investment by providing lifetime coverage of the anti-rejection medication necessary to maintain the organ," stated Wager. "Without maintaining the organ, Medicare is faced with the additional cost of re-transplantation or costly dialysis, which is much more costly per year per patient than immunosuppressive medications."
 
To read AAKP's letters to Senators Cornyn and Hutchison, visit the AAKP Web site, www.aakp.org. AAKP encourages all kidney patients to contact their Congressional leaders in support of this legislation. You can also call (800) 749-AAKP for more information.

This article originally appeared in the May 2008 issue of AAKP Public Policy Briefing.