Letting dialysis patients accept charity

Your Turn Giles Ward More viewpoint

Having spent most of the past 10 years working with Nashville-based dialysis companies, I’ve met many patients from across Tennessee and the country who live with end stage renal disease (ESRD).

The resiliency of these patients in the face of kidney failure and the lifesustaining dialysis treatments they require is something I truly admire.

ESRD patients cannot live without a transplant or dialysis treatment. In most cases treatments are three times per week, four hours per session and are extremely taxing.

Dialysis patients in Tennessee are among the most vulnerable members of our community, many living on fixed incomes and unable to work as a result of their demanding treatment schedules.

As if these dialysis patients were not already facing enough challenges, those in some states are being denied coverage because charities are paying part of the high cost of their treatment.

With the high cost of dialysis, health insurance companies want to force these very sick individuals to Medicare. Pushing patients to safety net programs limits their access to medications and care options and, in the process, puts the burden on the shoulders of Tennessee taxpayers.

The Tennessee Kidney Foundation provides transportation and emergency support where we can, but directs them to organizations like the American Kidney Fund (AKF) that provide assistance for things we cannot.

With their lives on the line everyday, patients should be spending their time and energy focused on their care, rather than wondering how to pay for it. These charitable assistance programs and payments are a crucial lifeline for patients across Tennessee.

Patients who meet the strict qualifications for AKF assistance can use it to pay for private health care coverage or for out-of-pocket expenses associated with Medicare or Medicaid treatments. In short, it provides coverage options to patients.

If insurance companies are allowed to refuse charitable premium assistance, or if laws are passed restricting the use of this charity, many dialysis patients will lose the right to choose the health care coverage that helps them manage their chronic condition and the associated health complications.

Dialysis patients should have the right to choose the plan that best meets their needs. It is unconscionable to single out dialysis patients, a severely atrisk population, for harsher treatment. Nobody with options should be forced into safety net programs.

Lawmakers in other states are considering restricting access to charitable premium assistance. I hope our lawmakers in Tennessee will stand up for this vulnerable population and protect their right to choose their own plan. It’s the right thing to do.

Giles Ward is board chairman of the Tennessee Kidney Foundation.

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