Urge Congress to support the Living Donor Protection Act of 2021

The Living Donor Protection Act of 2021 (H.R.1255/S.377) would ensure that living organ donors have Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protections so they can take time off work to donate the kidney and recover from the surgery without fear of losing their job. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter in 2018 which stated that organ donation is protected under FMLA. The Living Donor Protection Act would codify the DOL opinion, protecting under federal statute those living donors whose employers are covered under FMLA.

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Importantly, the bill would also protect living donors from discrimination by insurance carriers and prohibits insurers from:

  • Declining or limiting coverage of a person under any life insurance policy, disability insurance policy, or long-term care insurance policy due to the person’s living donor status;
  • Preventing a person from donating all or part of an organ as a condition of receiving a life insurance policy, disability insurance policy, or long-term care insurance policy;
  • Considering the fact that a person is a living organ donor when determining the premium amount.

Finally, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to update its website, brochures, and other media regarding live donation and access to insurance for living donors.

The American Kidney Fund recently released State of the States: Living Donor Protection Report Card. The Report Card is our first annual assessment of how well laws in each state and the District of Columbia encourage living organ donation and reduce barriers for living organ donors; unfortunately, many states did not get a passing grade and the nationwide average grade was a D. If passed, this federal legislation would ensure every state has a basic level of protection—so that where a person lives does not make it more difficult to be a living donor.

Please contact your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators to ask them to cosponsor the Living Donor Protection Act that will ensure that individuals who give the gift of life are protected from discrimination and are encouraged to help those in desperate need.

Recipients

  • Your Senators
  • Your Representative

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Question - Not Required - What is your connection to kidney disease?

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Message

Please Cosponsor Living Donor Protection Act of 2021

Dear [Decision Maker],



As your constituent and as someone who has been impacted by kidney disease, I am writing to request that you cosponsor the Living Donor Protection Act of 2021 (H.R.1255/S.377).

This important bill would protect those individuals who made the life-saving decision to donate a kidney. Currently, those individuals who make this courageous decision can face discrimination by insurance companies who do not want to offer policies to an organ donor.

The Living Donor Protection Act would address these issues by prohibiting insurers from declining or limiting coverage of a life insurance, disability, or long-term care insurance policy due to the status of "living organ donor."

The legislation also includes important Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protections. In August 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter which stated that organ donation is protected under FMLA. The Living Donor Protection Action would codify the DOL opinion to ensure that the time an organ donor takes off from work is protected under the FMLA. The living donor would be able to take time off from work to donate the kidney and recover from the surgery without fear of losing employment.

The bill would be an important step toward encouraging kidney donations from living donors, which would expand the number of transplants in our county and provide more end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients the opportunity to live a life without dialysis. Giving the gift of a kidney is the ultimate altruistic act. Those who offer their organ, so another can live more fully, should be rewarded and protected.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]