10/26/2011 - No Kidney Left Behind

People who have received a kidney transplant who have Medicare will lose their Medicare benefits 36 months post-transplant, if they are not disabled or are not over the age of 65. If a transplant recipient does not have health insurance and/or access to the medications that keep the organ viable, it leaves them at risk of losing their transplant due to rejection. Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D., from Texas, introduced the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2011 (H.R. 2969) to help transplant recipients have continued access to the life-saving medication. He explains why this bill is good policy and a necessity, to save Medicare money and to save patient lives.