Ask your Representative to cosponsor the CARE for All Kidneys Act to address health disparities in kidney care

Take action to address health disparities in kidney care

Kidney disease—one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States—is the fastest-growing noncommunicable disease in the country. There are 37 million Americans living with it and millions more who are at risk. Of the Americans with kidney disease, 785,000 are living with kidney failure (end-stage renal disease, or ESRD), a life-altering condition that comes with enormous physical and emotional burdens.

The consequences of kidney disease and kidney failure fall more heavily on historically underserved communities of color and rural communities:

  • Black Americans make up just 13% of the U.S. population, but they account for 35% of Americans with kidney failure1
  • Black Americans are nearly 4 times more likely than white Americans to develop kidney failure2
  • 22% of dialysis patients live in rural areas, compared to 19% of the general population3
  • Those with lower socioeconomic status, inadequate insurance or living in rural areas face barriers to kidney transplantation4. Black and Hispanic Americans are also significantly less likely than non-Hispanic white people to receive a kidney transplant.

On June 16, 2021, Delaware Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and Ohio Congressman Brad Wenstrup introduced H.R. 3893, the Coordination, Accountability, Research, and Equity (CARE) for All Kidneys Act of 2021. The American Kidney Fund worked closely with the bill sponsors on this important bill which would implement interventions to better understand and manage kidney disease in communities of color, rural communities, and other underserved communities nationwide.

This goal would be accomplished by:

  • Creating a national action plan to address kidney disease in underserved communities
  • Improving research, data collection, and kidney transplant rates in underserved communities
  • Developing interventions and an understanding of the environment and occupational causes of kidney disease
  • Conducting a study on the treatment patterns associated with providing care and treatment for kidney failure in all underserved populations

This bill is a crucial first step in addressing our nation’s growing need to prevent and address kidney disease. Please contact your U.S. Representative today and ask them to cosponsor this important piece of legislation.

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

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Message

Please cosponsor H.R. 3893, The Coordination, Accountability, Research, and Equity (CARE) for All Kidneys Act of 2021

Dear [Decision Maker],



As your constituent and a person who has been impacted by kidney disease, I am writing to ask you to cosponsor H.R. 3893, the Coordination, Accountability, Research, and Equity (CARE) for All Kidneys Act of 2021. This important piece of legislation will implement interventions to better understand and manage kidney disease in communities of color, rural communities, and other underserved communities nationwide.

Kidney disease--one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States--is the fastest-growing noncommunicable disease in the country. There are 37 million Americans living with it and millions more who are at risk. Of the Americans with kidney disease, 785,000 are living with kidney failure (end-stage renal disease, or ESRD), a life-altering condition that comes with enormous physical and emotional burdens.

Kidney failure is also a very costly condition for patients and society. One out of every six kidney failure patients cannot afford the cost of care. In 2018, Medicare spent $49.2 billion on ESRD beneficiaries. Underlying conditions like diabetes and hypertension, which account for 75% of all new cases of kidney disease, have led to 555,000 Americans with kidney failure currently relying on life- sustaining dialysis treatments. Studies project that the number of people living with kidney failure will increase by about 200,000-500,000 by 2030, driving up Medicare costs further.

The consequences of kidney disease and kidney failure fall more heavily on historically underserved communities of color and rural communities:

- Black Americans make up just 13% of the U.S. population, but they account for 35% of Americans with kidney failure(1)
- Black Americans are nearly 4 times more likely than white Americans to develop kidney failure(1)
- 22% of dialysis patients live in rural areas, compared to 19% of the general population(2)
- Additionally, underserved communities also face barriers to receiving a transplant. Those with lower socioeconomic status, inadequate insurance or living in rural areas face barriers to kidney transplantation(3). Black and Hispanic Americans are also significantly less likely than non-Hispanic white people to receive a kidney transplant

(1) https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/race-ethnicity
(2) https://www.ruralhealthresearch.org/projects/100002186#:~:text=The%20disease%20disproportionately%20
affects%20poor,or%20leave%20a%20particular%20area
(3) https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1149365

The CARE for All Kidneys Act of 2021 seeks to address the growing toll on patients and high costs to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance by implementing interventions in the places that need it the most: communities of color, rural communities, and other underserved populations.

These interventions would include:
- Creating a national action plan to address kidney disease in underserved communities
- Improving research, data collection, and kidney transplant rates in underserved communities
- Developing interventions and an understanding of the environment and occupational causes of kidney disease
- Conducting a study on the treatment patterns associated with providing care and treatment for kidney failure in all underserved populations"

Please sign on as a cosponsor to this important bill to help address the root causes of kidney disease, especially in rural communities and communities of color, and ensure equitable access to care for kidney patients.

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