Home

Blog

Subjects

Budget Categories

Recent Blog Posts

How People Voted

81% For, 19% Against
48 votes cast

(put this on your site)

H.R. 1458, The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2009 (21 comments ↓ | 3 wiki edits: view article ↓)

  • This item is from the 111th Congress (2009-2010) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.

H.R. 1458 would amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide continued entitlement to coverage for immunosuppressive drugs furnished to beneficiaries under the Medicare Program that have received a kidney transplant and whose entitlement to coverage would otherwise expire.

(read more ↓)
[49 views]


Cost per :

Visitor Comments Comments Feed for This Bill

Ken Bradshaw

March 21, 2009, 10:48am (report abuse)

HR 1458 sounds like a plan we the people need and should be passed for all good reasons. And especially for those who are in need of momotery relief of the situation brought on by the sickness. We have the ability to help nations stay afloat and we have the ability to help our own.

Tom Wilson

March 27, 2009, 6:34am (report abuse)

Considering the investment in the transplanted organ from the procedure, the procurement through Public service announcements to the actual operation, plus the all the other resources that are required to make a successful transplant, By NOT supporting the patients need for the anti-rejection medications is a BAD IDEA. The medications are extremely expensive and most every transplant recipient cannot afford even One months supply let alone the cost of the anti-rejection medications for the remainder of their life. The medications is a SMALL investment vs allowing the transplant to become rejected which requires Dialysis, which in turn puts the patient back on Medicare and on the transplant list again for another extremely expensive dialysis treatments and then another transplant. Maintaining the first transplant is FAR less expensive.

Using an automotive analogy. Its cheaper to change the oil regularly then to disregard such maintenance and replacing the engine every 2 years or so.

Duane G

April 7, 2009, 5:48pm (report abuse)

I am a heart transplant patient, disabled before I was 50 years old.

I am faced with exorbinant cost for my immunosuppresant medications, out of pocket annual is approx $5900.OO. This bill should include all transplant patients as the post transplant expense is Huge.

Kim Collins

April 9, 2009, 8:39pm (report abuse)

This bill is an important step to bridge those time(s) in which a transplant recipient might not have the insurance coverage or funding to be able to buy the life saving immunosuppressents to keep their transplant alive and well. It just doesn't make sense for Medicare to pay upwards of $100k for a transplant just to loose that transplant down if you are not able to pay for the very drugs that you have to take for the rest of your life. Life throws all kinds of curves, loss of job these days is a biggie. Loss of job usually means loss of insurance too. When it comes to making the choice of feeding the kids or buying your medication, WOW! Bottom line, we take care of our kids and pray that Uncle Sam will continue to take care of us.

paul stuart

April 12, 2009, 3:39pm (report abuse)

As a future renal transplant patient,i am considering not having the surgery because of the future cost of the immune surpressent drugs. We have gone through all the test that were needed ,found that we were a match only to be disillusioned by the cost of the drugs. Please save the American people taxpayer money.

Ronada St Marie

May 5, 2009, 8:29pm (report abuse)

This bill is a great idea. However, Duane G is right. It should include all transplant patients. I had a heart transplant 15 years ago. I have worked full-time for all of those 15 years. I have had several jobs and all covered my transplant needs including medications. I now work for local county government and the insurance will not cover anything to do with transplants. So I pay out of pocket for all my medications. I can barely afford to get all my medications. One medication "Cellcept" cost me over $750 a month. The transplant center has been helping me with this cost and now the foundation that helps support patients like me is running out of money due to the economy. So what will happen if I don't get my most important medication. You guessed it, rejection and hospitalization which my insurance will not pay for. Legislation needs to be passed to mandate that all companies including government entities must cover transplant costs.

Craig

May 9, 2009, 2:12pm (report abuse)

I received my kidney transplant last year, at age 35, and have been struggling to pay the $350 per month cost of my anti-rejection meds (which in 2 years when my medicare expires will be more like $2k per month!)!!!! If the U.S. has money to help greedy CEOs and banks;they should be willing to help the sick. simple math really; help with the costs of meds or pay way more for lifetime of dialysis!

Ursula Green/70811

May 14, 2009, 10:44pm (report abuse)

I'm not a kidney patient, but I was affected by my husband kidney rejecting. You can't begin to imagine what a person goes through having a spouse on dialysis. And to marry someone that's not at the best of health, but he's a little satsified with his present life as is. And then get up one day and you can't urinate at all.

Then you go to the hospital and the doctor tells your spouse you're going back on dialysis. That's huge pill to swallow. Try putting yourself in that situation. One day you are perfectly alright and the next day it's like someone has came into your house and robbed you of lifes functions. This a bill that need to be pass. You dont know the seriousness of this bill until you are wearing the shoes.

Robin Hiersche

May 27, 2009, 1:52am (report abuse)

Please write to your congresspeople and put your support for this legislation in writing.

chuck sidener

July 7, 2009, 6:58pm (report abuse)

i agree that all organ transplant recipients should have access to insurance coverage whether it be commercial or s.s. currently my wifes employer covers most of the costs-like 95%. what happens when she retires and we are both on social security? baby boomers have donated more than any other generation to social security and it looks like we could be the first ones to get screwed. write to your congressman and have your children or anybody else you can think of to let their congressman know that this is important stuff! estimates of 17 thousand dollars a year for immunosuppresent drugs is not an exagerration. as a bi-lateral lung transplant recipient i have to take 3 immunosupressent drugs. all 3 are 700 to 850 dollars per month if i had to pay. plus there are other drugs needed to keep your body from collapsing from all of those drugs. good luck everybody-we'll need it. CS

Kim Wurdeman

November 18, 2009, 2:32pm (report abuse)

If any of the senators family members were facing this the bill would be passed and this would be the end of it. I am expected to recieve a kidney transplant within the next 12 months. I have 2 insurance plans to cover exp and meds. How long will they last, who knows. I am trusting God, but our money says this as well. Trust in God, Our elected officals need to get this don't. Please pray for change!!!!!

Doug Pulver

December 17, 2009, 1:50pm (report abuse)

Given that I looks gloomy for any real health care reform that would make this a non issue.

What can be done to move this forward?

Tammi M

December 29, 2009, 2:15pm (report abuse)

My mother is a kidney transplant recipient. She has had her kidney for almost 15 years now. My parents had to file bankruptcy to in order to keep what little they have to pay for her medicine. They pay $1300 a month for BCBS insurance. A plan she she can't drop or change because they will call it a pre-existing condition and not cover her anymore. She pays nearly $2000 a month for her medication. I will write to my congress reps and urge everyone to join me in the fight for what is right. All transplants need to be covered! I also urge you to donate your organs upon your death, you can save lives!

Mitch White

January 19, 2010, 11:24am (report abuse)

my wife is about to get a liver transplant, why limit this to just kidney transplant people?

Debra

March 15, 2010, 12:07am (report abuse)

I want to go back to work and feel i could but the possible loss of my anti rejection drugs holds here locked. if i knew i would get them i would return to work and it has been less than a year. I'm in hopes you will concider this bill as many could come off of Disability returning to a normal life. Your law is holding back a large amount of people that want to work but are afraid to leave because souly of loss of the expensive meds. You must be phycially fix and meet the testing to get an organ which means if you take care of yourself you may return to work.

cindyclm

(logged-in user) March 17, 2010, 5:48pm (report abuse)

Of course, this billshould include all transplants. But it should be an option, not mandated. I should not be mandated to have medicare or anything else when I already have coverage that I like. This is what is happening to me now. Of course, I am fortunate and blessed to have such good coverage already, but I was told last week that I am being dropped because I am eligible for medicare. Now I have to pay a higher premium and have less coverage than I had before. I am being dropped just because I had a kidney transplant. Every one else here at work has health care options, not me. This feels like discrimination. To those who would say, "You should be happy that at least you will have medicare", i would respond, "Yes, it's better than nothing, but would you trell rosa Parks that she should be happy that at least she was allowed on the bus. Hopefully, this and medicare itself will be an option for all with transplants.

Mike M

March 29, 2010, 9:44pm (report abuse)

How about passing some legislation that regulates the cost of immunosuppressive medications? Our Representatives must say NO to the pharmaceutical lobbyists and serve the people who elected them to office.

Devon

May 20, 2010, 1:01pm (report abuse)

I support this bill because it will help improve the quality of life for these patients, As a dialysis nurse I see how a patients quality of life can quickly deteriorate. The issue that I do have with congress and maybe even the doctors is why are we providing these transplants to people before knowing if the have the accurate means to pay for its up keep, because then these patients end up back on dialysis because they rejected the organ and the family member who provided the perfectly good organ is now without a kidney or someone who could pay for the upkeep of the organ is bypassed on the list because of someone ahead of them and that someone is unable to pay for the meds.I just think its wrong it like giving someone a million dollar house and saying its yours free for 3 years then you have to pay thereafter. I just think without this bill perfectly good organs are going to continue to be wasted especially since the number of people with kidney disease outweighs other transplants

Kathleen

May 29, 2010, 1:57am (report abuse)

I couldn't agree more with what everyone is saying. I have both a heart and kidney transplant, 13 years apart. Coverage should be extended to all transplants and it is a shame that medicare would rather pay for another kidney transplant and dialysis in between than just cover immunosuppression drugs. For those of you struggling hard with prescription costs, please talk to a Medicare representative or apply for disability, because immunosuppressive drugs are covered under Part B. It's not the best solution, but it'll make your life easier if you qualify. Until legislators see the benefit of this bill, I'll be sharing your frustration.

Delgado

July 12, 2010, 5:14pm (report abuse)

Why isn't HR 1458 S565 being worked on now? Has it really been since March, 2009 that it was considered? People(some very young)are havibg to to back on dialysis.

Wants this to Pass!

November 17, 2010, 3:26pm (report abuse)

My Mom is considering not having a life extending kidney transplant because she is a widower who cannot afford the meds after Medicare runs out. She is afraid she will not be able to get insurance to pay for the meds, and it is a huge risk to take. I do not understand why this has been tabled for so long when people clearly need it!

RSS Feeds for This Bill

Keep yourself updated on user contributions and debates about this bill! (Learn more about RSS.)