AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY COMMENDS CONGRESS FOR HIGHLIGHTING THE HONOR OUR LIVING DONORS ACT (H.R. 6020)
Legislation seeks to streamline eligibility for living organ donor financial assistance
Newswise — Washington, DC (February 29, 2024) — At a hearing today focused on supporting patients with rare diseases, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee will consider Honor Our Living Donors Act (H.R. 6020), legislation to improve support for living organ donors.
The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) applauds co-sponsors Representative Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23) and Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA-1) for leading this important legislation. The bill would streamline eligibility criteria for low-income living donors seeking federal financial assistance and commission an annual report on the adequacy of funding levels to support living donors.
“The Honor Our Living Donors Act will simplify access to financial support for living donors through the National Living Donor Assistance Center by using donors’ own income to determine their eligibility to receive support for donation-related costs,” said Roslyn B. Mannon, MD, FASN, Chair, ASN Policy and Advocacy Committee. “Currently, donors’ eligibility to receive support is determined using the organ recipient’s income. This policy change is an important step towards supporting living donors who need financial help as they provide the gift of life.”
More than 800,000 Americans are living with kidney failure, a life-threatening condition without a cure. A living kidney donor transplant is the best possible therapy for most people with kidney failure, providing better outcomes and lower costs to Medicare compared to other currently available therapies. However, the rate of living kidney donation has remained stagnant over the past decade, even as the overall rate of kidney transplant has doubled, in part because living donors face thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket expenses to donate a kidney.
The Living Organ Donor Reimbursement Program, currently managed by the National Living Donor Assistance Center, provides financial assistance to low-income organ donors. Current statutory requirements mandate that organ recipient’s income is first determined by testing the organ recipient’s income—even though the organ recipient receives no support through the program and does not incur any donation related costs.
Increasing support for living organ donors, including passing the Honor Our Living Donors Act, is a priority of ASN in 2024. ASN will continue to build support for this important legislation, calling on Congress to advance it and other efforts throughout the year.
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About ASN
Since 1966, ASN has been leading the fight to prevent, treat, and cure kidney diseases throughout
the world by educating health professionals and scientists, advancing research and innovation,
communicating new knowledge and advocating for the highest quality care for patients. ASN has
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