WASHINGTON – Kidney Care Partners (KCP) – the nation’s largest non-profit kidney coalition comprised of more than 30 organizations, including patients, physicians, nurses, researchers, transplant coordinators, dialysis professionals, therapeutic innovators and manufacturers – today applauded the introduction of the Kidney Health Connect Act (S. 4307/H.R. 7878) to improve access to kidney care.

Specifically, KCP applauds the leadership of Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and John Barrasso (R-WY) and Representatives Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Dan Kildee (D-MI) for introducing this important bipartisan, bicameral legislation that improves telehealth access to kidney care throughout America for the most vulnerable Americans living with kidney disease who depend on dialysis care, specifically.

KCP has long been an advocate for expanding telehealth services for individuals with kidney disease and supported the CHRONIC Care Act of 2017, which included a similar provision to expand telehealth access.

The bipartisan, community-endorsed “Connect Act” represents a positive step toward expanding access to telehealth for individuals living with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. If passed, this legislation would remove current geographic restrictions for renal dialysis facilities, which limit patients’ access to telehealth. The prohibition of facility fees contained in the legislation will also ensure that beneficiaries who use dialysis facilities for telehealth services do not incur higher costs.

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