The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) supports the Living Donor Protection Act (H.R. 5263) introduced today by Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), along with Representative Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX) to promote organ donation and protect the rights of living donors. The NKF is a longtime leader in organ donation and transplantation in the U.S. and believes that in order to increase the national pool of organ donors, it is critical that living organ donors do not bear any unnecessary burdens or restrictions that would serve as barriers to donation. This bill prohibits insurance companies from denying or limiting life, disability and long term care insurance and from charging higher premiums to living organ donors. The bill also clarifies that living organ donors may use time granted through the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to recover from transplant surgery and finally, the bill directs the department of Health and Human Services to add information on these new protections to its materials to encourage more Americans to consider living donation.
The NKF is grateful for Rep. Nadler’s living donation efforts and for Rep. Burgess’s ongoing leadership on transplant initiatives. The NKF has advocated for these protections for years and is hopeful that this bill will increase the rate of living donation in this country and shorten the national transplant waiting list. Graft survival rates for living donor transplants are consistently higher than those of deceased donor transplants and therefore, passing this bill and increasing living donation will positively impact the health of transplant recipients. Increasing living donation also represents an economic cost-savings since fewer patients will need second or third transplants. Living donors are American heroes and the National Kidney Foundation believes they should be celebrated and their actions promoted so more will follow suit and many more lives will be saved. Take action to protect living donors today.
Advocacy in Action 
It is critical we do everything possible to promote and encourage donations. Please continue to support programs like this
Spread the word to save a life.
My husband is donating a kidney to me when the time comes and I feel so blessed.
I strongly support this. My wife needs a kidney transplant and she is on transplant center list, waiting anxiously. We are first generation US citizen from India , have limited resources ,hoping our health insurance will cover the expense .Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks
Strongly support this legislation. My sister was the living donor for my son and has changed his life.
I support this. My wife needs a Kidney. We live in a suburb of Boston,first generation immigrants from India. Anxiously waiting for a donor who might match my wife’s blood group A. Not sure how the New Kidney Allocation System will affect her chances before she has to be on Dialysis.
On Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 10:20 AM, Advocacy in Action wrote:
> susan commented: “Strongly support this legislation. My sister was the > living donor for my son and has changed his life.” >
I strongly support this! My wonderful husband donated his kidney to me (surgeries were 4 weeks ago). We live in California. Our insurance covered most of his medical expenses and then we qualified for a grant to covered the rest. He works at a great company that allowed him 6 weeks off work with Family and Medical Leave Act (100% paid time) for his recovery and to take care of me. Without any of this, he would not have been able to donate and I would be in complete kidney failure.
@ 81 years with end stage Kidney failure. On Home Dialisis. I have no possibility / choice of Organ Transplant.
For the life of me I can not understand, why it shouldn’t be my choice for Organ (Kidney) Transplant. No Matter What The Other Physical infirmities.
Medicare Paying better than 19,000.00 a month for my Home Dialisis is roughly 228,000.00 for one year
Kidney Transplantation and the ability to be listed should be My choice. No matter what the results Of course that would mean using Common sense.
wouldn’t this to be a much cheaper choice.
My Body My choice
I’m a living kidney donor and donated to stranger who became my friend. Medical benefits should not be lowered a s a result of doing something to save someone’s life. 100% agree. We need to pas legislation that will encourage people to help others – that’s what humanity is all about.
I went to give my kidney to my mom can I do it ? She is last stage of kidney failure but she is not agree there is any other way I can do it ?
Hi Anju,
Thank you for your comment. You may not be able to start the evaluation process to be your mom’s kidney donor without her knowing. Contact the “Kidney Transplant Coordinator” or “Kidney Transplant Social Worker” at your mom’s transplant hospital to ask about this.
Best wishes,
Erin Kahle
Constituent Services Director