On Sunday, April 30th, the House and Senate leadership reached a bi-partisan agreement to fund federal agencies and programs through the end of September. We are pleased to announce that kidney disease priorities being supported by the National Kidney Foundation increased or maintained their funding in relation to Fiscal Year 2016.
The CDC’s Chronic Kidney Disease Program, which addresses the social and economic impact of kidney disease, will maintain level funding at $2.1 million. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), an agency within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) investigating ways to stop kidney disease and improve treatments, will be funded at $1.87 billion – an increase of $52 million over FY2016. The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Division of Transplantation (HRSA-DoT), responsible for implementation of national policies and oversight governing the distribution of organs to those awaiting an organ transplant, will maintain funding at $23.55 million.
National Kidney Foundation sincerely appreciates the Congressional Appropriations leadership and the House and Senate Majority and Minority leadership for their efforts to advance and protect the needs of people with kidney disease.
Both houses of Congress will be voting on this funding agreement by Friday, May 5th.
Advocacy in Action 
When will Congress ever approve the allowing of people who had a transplant to continue receiving Immunosuppressant drugs after their 36-months runs out. If they can’t afford the cost of the drugs then the entire joy of receiving the transplant is gone.
The cost of dialysis is far more in terms of cost than the drugs themselves.
Maybe someday Medicare will do the math.
Keith E. Caro