My father requires dialysis treatments for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or kidney failure. As his caregiver, I see how consuming and exhausting dialysis is for him, but it keeps him alive.
Like my father, over 91,000 Californians rely on life-sustaining dialysis treatments due to ESRD. However, a gap in California law unfairly threatens their financial stability.
ESRD patients under the age of 65 are explicitly excluded from a law requiring Medigap coverage to be accessible for people under 65 with a disability. Medigap, or Medicare supplemental plans, are critical in helping people cover the 20% of treatment costs that Medicare doesn’t pay.
Other states give patients the option to buy Medigap plans, but California is one of just four states that exclude patients under 65 from purchasing coverage. That gap often forces those patients to reduce their incomes until they qualify for Medi-Cal.
People like my father deserve better from our state. I thank California Senator Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-CA-39) for co-authoring Senate Bill 242, which extends affordable Medigap access to ESRD patients under age 65. I also encourage Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel (D-CA-76) and the entire California Legislature to support this important bill.
By doing so, California can alleviate the financial hardships faced by ESRD patients and ensure they receive the comprehensive care they deserve.
Sincerely,
Jamal Felton
San Diego
