AKF's Kidney Action Summit brings 37 AKF Ambassadors to Capitol Hill to advocate for the kidney community

During our annual Kidney Action Summit, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) sets up meetings between AKF Ambassadors and their lawmakers to advocate for legislation that will improve the lives of those living with kidney disease. On May 15, 37 AKF Ambassadors from 22 states had 67 with meetings with their Senators' and Representatives' offices, including 10 meetings with members of Congress in attendance.

Our AKF Ambassadors are people with kidney disease, living donors, caregivers and others who have been touched by kidney disease. For their meetings, they were partnered with AKF staff members who provided background on AKF and our programs and services. Ambassadors shared their personal experiences with kidney disease to help their elected officials and their staff better understand the impact of kidney disease on people's lives. Our team also urged congressional offices to co-sponsor the Living Donor Protection Act of 2023 (H.R. 2923/S. 1384) and the Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act of 2023 (H.R. 5027).

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2023 (H.R. 2923/S. 1384)

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2023 is bipartisan, bicameral (meaning it has been introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives) federal legislation that provides critical protections to living organ donors. This bill would codify into law a 2018 Department of Labor opinion that living donors should have Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protections to take time off from work to donate their kidney and recover from surgery, without risking the loss of their job. This bill would also prohibit life, disability and long-term care insurers from discriminating against living organ donors by denying or limiting their coverage or charging them higher premiums solely due to their status as an organ donor.

Living donor protections currently vary from state to state, so this federal legislation would create a baseline of protections across the country if it were to become law.  If enacted, it would result in all 50 states having a grade of C or better on AKF's State of the States: Living Donor Protection Report Card. This legislation has been introduced in the past several years and we are hopeful that 2024 is the year it will be signed into law.

Want to help make that happen? Take two minutes to contact your elected officials through our website and ask them to cosponsor the Living Donor Protection Act of 2023.

The Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act of 2023 (H.R. 5027)

The Chronic Kidney Disease and Improvement in Research and Treatment Act of 2023 aims to improve the lives of those with kidney disease. The bipartisan legislation is endorsed by Kidney Care Partners and includes efforts to prevent and better understand chronic kidney disease (CKD) by ensuring appropriate reimbursement for quality care and improve patient access to the innovative drugs, technology and innovations along the kidney care continuum.

Want to make a difference? Take two minutes to contact your elected officials through our website and ask them to support The Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act of 2023.

We were delighted to be joined by our Ambassadors on Capitol Hill once again. We are grateful to them for sharing their stories and for their efforts to help us advocate for policies that will improve the lives of those living with kidney disease.

Interested in helping fight for positive change for the kidney community? There are a number of ways you can get involved. Our Mobile Advocacy Network is a quick and easy way to stay up to date about advocacy opportunities in your state and at the federal level so you can take action on important issues. Through this tool, you can send emails and engage with your lawmakers on Twitter. Sign-up for the Mobile Advocacy Network here, or by texting "KIDNEY" to 52886.

If you have friends and family who are interested in becoming AKF Ambassadors, please encourage them to sign up.