From my time serving in the Wisconsin Senate and later as governor, I know that passing major healthcare legislation can be a long, difficult process. However, I also know there are certain areas in healthcare where there is genuine bipartisan agreement and a willingness to come together to help patients. We’re seeing that now, and it’s time for lawmakers in Washington to take action and help a particular group of patients that desperately need it: kidney patients.
As someone whose family has been personally affected by kidney disease and dialysis, I’ve seen just how difficult it can be for patients and families whose lives are upended by this disease. Adjusting to dialysis involves new doctors, treatments, medications, and, of course, expenses. Naturally, each of these comes with its own set of challenges.
One of the biggest obstacles dialysis patients encounter is how their care is managed among different care providers and specialists. Since many dialysis patients also suffer from additional conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, they have to see cardiologists, dietitians, and other doctors, along with their nephrologist and primary care provider.
With so many care providers involved in treating different conditions and prescribing different medications, it can be difficult for patients to coordinate everything and make sure no medications or treatments are redundant or, even worse, interfering with each other. However, a lot of dialysis patients don’t have any choice, as there often aren’t systems in place that allow their healthcare providers to communicate directly with one another.
There’s a way to help, though, and it has considerable support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
The BETTER Kidney Care Act — which was introduced in the House earlier this year by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat, and in the Senate by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Democrat, and Todd Young, an Indiana Republican — would make it easier for dialysis patients to access care coordination services and ensure their healthcare providers can communicate with each other. That in turn means doctors can work together to address all of a patient’s needs rather than treat each condition individually and run the risk of creating extra appointments and costs for patients.
That’s not the only issue the bill would address. It also offers transportation services to help patients get to their local dialysis clinic, which is important for enabling patients to keep up with their dialysis treatments. Many patients don’t have a trusted way of getting to their clinic or cannot get there without assistance. That creates serious problems because patients need to go through dialysis treatments several times each week, and each one is an exhausting, hourslong experience. Making transportation services available is critical to ensuring patients can keep up with treatments and stay healthy.
Beyond offering better access to care coordination and transportation services, the BETTER Kidney Care Act also includes provisions that offer dental care to dialysis patients. Many don’t currently have dental care, but maintaining strong oral health is critical for dialysis patients hoping to one day receive a kidney transplant and get off of dialysis altogether.
I’ve seen the policy-making process firsthand, and I know how difficult it can be to get things done. But as someone whose family has been touched by kidney disease, I also know how urgent it is for legislators to step in and help dialysis patients. The BETTER Kidney Care Act is a smart, common-sense, and bipartisan solution to the problems facing kidney patients across the country.
Scott McCallum is a former governor of Wisconsin.
