Fighting insurance discrimination against patients on dialysis

Health insurers systematically discriminate against low-income people living with ESRD who rely on charitable assistance to afford their health insurance premiums and access the health care they need to stay alive. Over the years, many insurance carriers have refused charitable premium assistance payments from AKF on behalf of people living with ESRD. These people living with ESRD, who are disproportionately members of racial and ethnic minorities, depend on AKF's federally-approved, 100% needs-based Health Insurance Premium Program (HIPP) to afford the premiums for their Medicare Part B, Medigap, Medicare Advantage, employer group health, COBRA and other commercial plans, including Qualified Health Plans (QHPs). 

To protect access to health coverage and protect low-income people living with ESRD from insurance discrimination, AKF supports:

• Federal and state regulation that would ensure insurance carriers accept charitable payments on behalf of people living with ESRD.

• Federal and state legislation that would protect patient access to coverage by requiring insurance companies to accept payments from nonprofit charitable organizations like AKF.