American Kidney Fund Statement on U.S. House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee Hearing on Improving Kidney Health Through Better Prevention and Innovative Treatment

ROCKVILLE, Md. (March 18, 2026) —   LaVarne A. Burton, President and CEO of the American Kidney Fund (AKF), issued the following statement about today's U.S. House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health hearing about kidney disease care in the United States:

"Today's hearing reinforced what we have known for years: the status quo for people living with kidney failure in America is unacceptable. 

"More than 830,000 people are living with kidney failure and must rely on dialysis or a transplant to survive. Dialysis is arduous and takes a tremendous physical and mental toll on patients, yet it's what the majority of kidney failure patients in the U.S. must undergo multiple times a week to stay alive. For those on the kidney transplant list, it can be a years-long wait given there are nearly 109,000 people on the organ transplant waitlist, and about 90% are waiting for a kidney. 

"For more than 60 yeras, dialysis or transplant have remained the only two options. While we've seen progress in the development of therapies that can help slow down kidney disease, the pace of policy-supported innovation and treatment must accelerate to keep up with the urgency of the crisis.  

"Today we thank House Committee on Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith and Ranking Member Richard Neal and Health Subcommittee Chairman Vern Buchanan and Ranking Member Lloyd Doggett for elevating this issue with the urgency that the kidney community deserves. 

"We also thank AKF Ambassador and Kidney Health Coach® Ashli Littleton of Tennessee for speaking up to share her own personal experiences and her journey with home dialysis, which she said has provided her with independence and flexibility, and her commitment to help empower others and improve health outcomes. 

"After launching an effort to better understand and address the unique health care issues faced by those living with kidney disease, the American Kidney Fund released a report, "Stemming the Tide of Kidney Disease," outlining recommendations for policy makers to address kidney disease at the national level. Key areas for action include prevention, screening and diagnosis; prioritizing education about cardiovascular disease and kidney failure; expanding coverage for screening and testing; encouraging upstream care; and addressing workforce shortages across the nephrology field through training and education programs. 

"We applaud the Subcommittee for recognizing that kidney health is a national priority and we stand ready to work alongside policymakers to turn these recommendations into reality."