The Supreme Court’s decision today concerning the Affordable Care Act allows the nation to proceed with health care reform that could help ensure availability of affordable and comprehensive coverage for people with kidney disease, kidney transplant recipients and living kidney donors. When fully implemented, the Act is designed to eliminate insurance barriers for those who may be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. For example, living kidney donors may have experienced such discrimination.

The Act should help alleviate insurance concerns of kidney transplant recipients, many of whom have difficulty in obtaining affordable health insurance when Medicare eligibility ends three years post-transplant. The Act also creates a framework for subsidy of health insurance premiums and thus addresses affordability. For a more complete explanation of the promise of the Affordable Care Act and the challenges that remain in its implementation, click here.