Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), alongside Representatives Carol Miller (WV-01) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02), recently introduced the Improving Access to Home Dialysis Act. This bipartisan bill aims to make home dialysis a more accessible option by providing patients with the necessary training and professional staff assistance to manage their treatments at home.
“High-quality and affordable kidney care should not be considered a luxury in the United States,” said Congresswoman Strickland. “We must work together with caregivers and providers to ensure that patients have the resources and training they need to receive dialysis in the comfort of their own homes, and make sure that patients know that home care is an option.”
The need for such legislation is underscored by the challenges faced by over 800,000 adults in the United States who have irreversible kidney failure and require dialysis treatments multiple times a week to survive. Traditionally, these treatments take place in specialized centers and can last between 3-4 hours per session, not including travel time. This can be particularly burdensome for patients in rural areas, where long travel times can interfere with employment and family life.
Congresswoman Miller highlighted the personal impacts of current dialysis options.
“Individuals with End Stage Renal Disease are often faced with difficult decisions when choosing where to receive dialysis services. In rural areas, some patients must forgo a full-time job or time with their family to travel hours back and forth to dialysis centers to receive the life-sustaining care they need. Home dialysis is a wonderful tool that allows patients to be at the center of their own care,” she explained.
Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, bringing her perspective as a physician to the discussion, emphasized the importance of expanding patient choices.
“As a physician in Congress, I know how important it is to increase patient choice. With advancements in technology and care, people with kidney failure should be informed of options beyond in-center dialysis. Our bipartisan bill would enhance access, reduce travel time, and improve the well-being and quality of life of those Americans needing dialysis and for whom home dialysis is a feasible option,” she stated.
Home dialysis, which includes treatments like peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis, is currently utilized by about 12% of U.S. dialysis patients. This act seeks to increase this percentage by ensuring that patients who are medically eligible for home dialysis are not hindered by a lack of social support or training.
Bell Maddux, a home dialysis patient, expressed optimism about the legislation’s potential impact.
“I am grateful to Reps. Miller, Strickland, and Miller-Meeks for spearheading this push to make home dialysis more accessible for us. Policies like this make me increasingly optimistic that more kidney patients struggling with dialysis can have a chance to get some of their life back,” said Maddux.