How immunosuppressive drug legislation could save $400 million; the Affordable Care Act is in front of the Supreme Court; don't forget to check out the Advocacy Toolkit.
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With current funding set to expire on December 11, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are working on end-of-year legislation to fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year. Leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate have expressed hope that Congress can reach an agreement on the funding levels for 12 appropriations bills and pass them all in one "omnibus" spending package before January. However, there are still major differences that need to be worked out between the House and Senate versions of their spending bills.
With regards to COVID-19 relief legislation, the prospect of Congress passing another large-scale legislative package before the end of the year has diminished. The House and Senate have significant differences over the size and scope of aid that is needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and there has not been any movement toward a compromise.
Reminder! If you haven't already done so, please check out our Advocacy Toolkit. It has a lot of great resources for new and more experienced advocates to help you boost your advocacy game! We expect the next several months to provide many opportunities for American Kidney Fund (AKF) Ambassadors to share their stories and make sure elected officials hear from people impacted by kidney disease.
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Are you an avid advocate on social media? Reply to this email with your social media names/handles so we can follow you!
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New cost estimate shows immunosuppressive drug legislation would save $400 million
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which conducts objective, nonpartisan analyses of legislation, recently released a cost estimate of H.R. 5534, the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act. CBO estimated that the bill would save the federal government $400 million over 10 years.
AKF and many of our Ambassadors have been working very hard in support of H.R. 5534 and its companion bill in the Senate, S. 3353, which would extend Medicare coverage for immunosuppressive drugs by removing the current three-year limit for transplant recipients under the age of 65 who are Medicare-eligible because of their end stage renal disease (ESRD). By creating a limited Medicare coverage option solely to cover immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant recipients whose full Medicare coverage has ended and who have no other source of health coverage, CBO found that the bill saves the Medicare program money because it would prevent them from organ rejection and going back on dialysis.
Learn more in AKF's statement on CBO's estimate.
Take Action: AKF and our Ambassadors continue to advocate for this important bill to be included in an end-of-year legislative package, and we hope this new CBO cost estimate helps push its passage over the finish line. But we also need your help! Please take two minutes and ask your representative and senators to support this legislation by sending a message through our website. Your voice matters!
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The Affordable Care Act in front of the Supreme Court
On November 10, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case California v. Texas, the most recent challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A decision from the court was expected by June 2021, but given how the majority of the court's justices appeared to agree on one of the main questions of the case during the oral argument session, most legal experts now expect a decision earlier in the year. Based on several questions and statements from the justices during oral arguments, it appears that most of the ACA will be upheld.
For more details on the case and the oral arguments, please see our blog post.
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