The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive and longstanding, patient centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease in the US. Together, we can enhance the lives of kidney patients by making our voices heard in support of the issues affecting funding, treatment, research and more. Join the effort today.
Hear Our Mission In Your Advocates Own Words
Listen to our Kidney Advocacy Committee patients and other supporters talk about why they have raised their voices for kidney patients across the country. You can also hear more about the Annual Kidney Patient Summit from our advocates.
DID YOU KNOW?
Use Your Voice to Help Kidney Disease Patients
The Living Donor Protection Act will protect living organ donors and remove barriers to donation by prohibiting insurance companies from denying or limiting life, disability and long term care insurance to living donors, and from charging higher premiums. It will also help to protect the jobs of living donors while they recover from donation.
To keep our momentum in Washington, D.C. and your state capitals, we need to share your stories. When we are asked, “Are there examples of a living kidney donor being discriminated against in…” or “Tell me about constituents whose lives would have been changed by earlier detection of kidney disease…” we want to share your story with them.
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) provides patients and caregivers with information needed to make decisions about the treatment or other care options best for them. To date, PCORI has supported 18 kidney-specific studies that are already helping patients and caregivers. Unless Congress acts to reauthorize PCORI, this meaningful research will cease at the end of September 2019.
Tell Congress to Act to Fund Kidney Disease Research and Programs! The latest data coming from CDC’s Chronic Kidney Disease Surveillance Project shows the number of Americans with CKD is higher than previously estimated. There is action Congress can take to support funding for research and programs that generate awareness and promote improved access to treatment for CKD.
100 members of Congress are new and likely to know little about kidney disease, organ donation or the challenges faced by kidney patients, living organ donors, and family caregivers and health practitioners. We need your help to change this! Please help us educate all 100 new Members on kidney disease within the first 100 days of Congress and continue the education of returning Members.
During May, Colorado signed its state Living Donor Protection Act (HB19-1253) into law. It will ensure that life, long-term care and disability insurers will not discriminate against living organ donors through policy conditions, acceptance, or pricing based solely on the person’s status as a living organ donor. It would also require the state Department of Human Services to develop materials related to living organ donation.
State Representative Tarah Toohil and 13 other legislators introduced Pennsylvania’s Living Donor Protection Act (HB 924), which would ensure that life, long-term care, and disability insurers will not discriminate against living organ donors, employees who are eligible for FMLA leave for living organ donation and requires the Pennsylvania Department of Health to develop educational materials related to living organ donation.
The state legislature in Illinois is considering its own Living Donor Protection Act (HB2847) and the Living Donation Tax Credit (SB68). HB2847 would ensure that life, long-term care, and disability insurers will not discriminate against living organ donors and provides employees up to 30 days of unpaid leave for organ donation. SB68 would offer a tax credit for companies who offer employees donating an organ paid leave.
State Representatives Hambley and Hudson, working with NKF’s advocates, introduced the Living Donor Protection Act (HB 41) in Ohio’s state legislature to help living organ donors, people we consider heroes. HB 41 would ensure that life, long-term care and disability insurers will not discriminate against living organ donors through policy conditions, acceptance, or pricing based solely on the person’s status as a living organ donor.
State Senators Sandra Pappas and Susan Kent introduced the Living Donor Protection Act (SF 1146) in the Minnesota State Legislature. SF 1146 would ensure that life insurers will not discriminate against living organ donors through policy conditions, acceptance, or pricing based solely on the person’s status as a living organ donor. It also provides certain employees a period of unpaid leave for living organ donation. Help us give thanks and protect our heroic living kidney donors across Minnesota by clicking below!
On June 6th, the Living Donor Protection Act (SB796) was signed into law to help living organ donors, people we consider heroes. SB796 will ensure that life, long-term care and disability insurers will not discriminate against living organ donors through policy conditions, acceptance, or pricing based solely on the person’s status as a living organ donor. It also provides certain employees a period of unpaid leave for living organ donation.
On January 14th, State Senator Dan Hughes (R-44th) introduced the Living Donor Protection Act (LB 228) in Nebraska’s state legislature to help living organ donors, people we consider heroes. LB 228 would ensure that life, long-term care and disability insurers will not discriminate against living organ donors through policy conditions, acceptance, or pricing based solely on the person’s status as a living organ donor. Help us give thanks and protect our heroic living kidney donors across Nebraska by clicking below!
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Have end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
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Americans on the Kidney Transplant Waitlist
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People with ESRD who died in 2014
