We are very excited to announce that funding levels for kidney disease priorities supported by the National Kidney Foundation were increased or maintained in relation to Fiscal Year 2017, despite proposed cuts by the Administration.

On March 21, House and Senate leadership finalized a bipartisan agreement to fund discretionary programs through the end of Fiscal Year 2018 (September 30, 2018).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Chronic Disease Control and Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) is at the forefront of our nation’s efforts to prevent and control chronic diseases. Within the NCCDPHP, the Chronic Kidney Disease Program addresses the social and economic impacts of kidney disease. For FY 18, the kidney disease program will receive $2.5 million, a very significant increase from the $2.1 million for FY 17 and the highest level of funding in the program’s 12-year history. In addition, Million Hearts, which aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2022, received continued funding at $4 million despite the President’s proposal to eliminate its funding. Million Hearts work is crucial to preventing kidney disease, through its hypertension initiatives, and to reducing cardiovascular complications which are the number 1 killer in people with kidney disease.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), which provides funding for research efforts to improve the prevention and treatment of CKD, will receive $1.97 billion, representing a $100 million increase.  NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health which received a $3 billion increase.

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) 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 receive a $2 million increase to $25.5 million. HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Care will receive $ 1.625 billion, an increase of $135 million to support a national network of more than 10,000 health clinics in underserved communities. Community health centers serve 1 in 13 Americans, of whom many would otherwise have little or no access to care and are at disproportionate risk for chronic kidney disease due to the high prevalence of hypertension and diabetes.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the bill this morning, followed by the Senate, after which it will go to President Trump for his signature.