THANK YOU CONGRESSMAN JOHN BARROW!

I am extremely proud of my Congressman John Barrow, who represents the 12th district of Georgia.

You can see on the list below, his co-sponsorship of HR 3282 to close a harmful loophole in Medicare, important for kidney patients everywhere.

The current eight co-sponsors of the legislation are John Barrow (D-GA); William Lacy Clay (D-MO); Maurice Hinchey (D-NY); Tom Latham (D-IA); Michael Burgess (R-TX); Jim Costa (D-CA); Ron Kind (D-WI); and Jerry Weller (R-IL).
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The following came from the PKD website for those who have Polycystic Kidney Disease as I do, but the legislation applies to all kidney patients with ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease).I speak from experience and those with ESRD will soon die without dialysis or a transplant.
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More than 60 percent of PKD patients will develop kidney failure and be forced to rely on dialysis or a transplant to live.

While Medicare covers dialysis indefinitely, in many cases, it will only cover vital immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplants for 36 months! Once this period ends, transplant patients are forced to find other ways to pay for these expensive medications.

Many cannot afford to continue treatment.
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I am one of those people who cannot afford the drugs, except for one fact. I was drafted into the Army, served honorably, and now the VA provides me with the expensive medicines at a co-pay of $8 per month per prescription. I do not have $10,000 to spend on medicine.
I'm lucky I was drafted. I know examples of people who need a transplant, who are not old enough for regular Medicare. If they are on dialysis, Medicare (through the ESRD provision) will pay $60,000 or more per year, but will not provide up to $24,000 per year to maintain the transplant. Now I ask you, does that make any financial sense? Medicare paid for my medicine for 36 months, and then it ended. Not everybody has been lucky enough to be drafted into the Army.
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You can help end this 36-month limit and make a true difference in the lives of PKD patients nationwide!

Please use the URL below to learn more about the legislation:

http://www.pkdcure.org/site/PageServer?pagename=HR3282

When you speak to John Barrow, please tell him that you appreciate his sponsorship of financially responsible legislation to promote health.

Posted by Bill Ricks of Sopoerton