Mar 3 2010
On Wednesday, March 3, kidney patients from across South Carolina will
join the National Kidney Foundation Serving the Carolinas, South
Carolina Region and Dialysis Patient Citizens in holding a briefing at
the State Capitol Rotunda, followed by a series of meetings with
lawmakers and staff, urging the passage of key legislation this year
that would help approximately 500 South Carolina kidney failure patients
and thousands of disabled South Carolinians who are struggling to access
health insurance for the life-saving medical care they need.
The legislation – S. 1128, sponsored by Senator Harvey Peeler
(R-Cherokee), and H. 4552, sponsored by Representatives Joan Brady
(R-Richland), Bill Sandifer (R-Seneca) and Kristopher Crawford
(R-Florence) – would provide the opportunity for South Carolina’s end
stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and disabled patients under the age
of 65 to purchase Medigap secondary insurance coverage. Under current
federal law, all Medicare beneficiaries over the age of 65 are already
able to purchase Medigap, which provides them with access to needed
medical treatments without cost being a barrier. Patients and kidney
care advocates will ask lawmakers to extend the same coverage option to
South Carolina’s ESRD and disabled Medicare beneficiaries under age 65.
If South Carolina passes this important legislation, fewer people will
be forced to “spend down” their assets to enter the state Medicaid
program, resulting in Medicaid savings of
up to $4.6 million over the next five years for South Carolina
and protecting taxpayers from higher program costs.
Come meet patients and learn about their experiences with kidney
disease, and find out why this legislation is good
for patients, good for
taxpayers and good for
South Carolina.
Source National Kidney Foundation Serving the Carolinas, South
Carolina Region
Ozempic effective for patients with chronic kidney damage