WASHINGTON – Kidney Care Partners (KCP)—the nation’s leading kidney care multi-stakeholder coalition representing patient advocates, physician organizations, health professional groups, dialysis providers, researchers, and manufacturers—today expressed appreciation for the more than 30 cosponsors of the bipartisan Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (H.R. 2199).

If passed, the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act would reaffirm the original intent of the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSPA), which Congress adopted 40 years ago to protect individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) from discrimination by group health plans. That protection was weakened by the Supreme Court’s decision in Marietta v. DaVita, which allows employer-sponsored plans to prematurely push individuals with kidney failure off of private insurance and onto Medicare.  

The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act would close this loophole by ensuring uninterrupted access to life-saving dialysis care through private insurance during the full 30-month coordination period.

“This legislation is an important step toward protecting patient choice and ensuring individuals with kidney failure can access the care they need without disruption,” said Mahesh Krishnan, MD, MPH, MBA, Chair of Kidney Care Partners. “It’s a critical part of our mission to modernize the kidney care system to better support patients, improve outcomes, and strengthen coverage options. We’re encouraged by the strong bipartisan support behind this bill—and urge Congress to act swiftly to pass it.”

With a significant number of cosponsors now signed on in support of this legislation, Kidney Care Partners calls on lawmakers in the House and Senate to prioritize passage of this critical legislation without delay.

The bipartisan cosponsors of this legislation hail from states across the country. KCP thanks Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA-16), Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), Neal Dunn (R-FL-02), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), John Joyce (R-PA-13), Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), Jason Crow (D-CO-06), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20), Darren Soto (D-FL-09), Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), Julie Johnson (D-TX-32), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), Sarah McBride (D-DE-At Large), Herb Conaway (D-NJ-03), Donald Davis (D-NC-01), Greg Landsman (D-OH-01), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25), Glen Thompson (R-PA-15), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), Joe Wilson (R-SC-02), Troy Balderson (R-OH-12), August Pfluger (R-TX-11), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), Tracey Mann (R-KS-01), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13), and Eugene Simon Vindman (D-VA-07) for their leadership and dedication to bettering patient care.