Introducing: The Pulse on Policy
This post was originally published in TransplantNation Magazine.
TransplantNation is excited to introduce our newest addition to the magazine – The Pulse on Policy. This feature is designed to keep our community up to date on the most pressing policy issues impacting the transplant and donation community.
Living Donor Protection Act
We’re kicking off our first feature with a national policy issue that is near and dear to the hearts of many in our community – the Living Donor Protection Act (Bill numbers H.R.1255 and S.377).
The Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA) is a bi-partisan bill that would prevent insurance carriers from discriminating against living organ donors, specifically it would prohibit carriers from denying or cancelling life insurance, disability insurance, or long term care insurance because of their status as a living donor. The bill would also enact protections for living donors such as entitling them to medical leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) while they are in recovery post-surgery.
The LDPA is mission critical to our community’s efforts to increase living donation and drive down the list of 100,000 people currently waiting for an organ transplant
Change is Happening!
Change is afoot across the country. Individual States have been passing their own versions of the Living Donor Protection Act. Just this past May, the Georgia Senate unanimously approved the “Giving the Gift of Life” Act. The legislation was inspired and sponsored by Senator John Albers, who saved his son’s life by donating a kidney to him when he went into kidney failure at 24 years old. The legislation prevents insurers from denying life insurance to donors, increases the State tax credit for living donors from $10,000 to $25,000, and offers a tax credit for companies who give their employees six weeks of paid time off for donating or receiving an organ.
State by State
Curious about living donor laws in your State? The American Kidney Fund has developed a Living Donor Protection Report Card to evaluate the protections for living donors in each state by looking at seven categories including:
Protection from life, disability or long-term care insurance discrimination
Job-protected leave from private employers
Job-protected leave from public employers
Tax credits for private employers who provide paid leave
Direct reimbursements, tax credits or tax deductions for donor expenses
Paid leave via Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) laws
Enhanced FMLA leave beyond 60 days
As of this magazine’s date of publication, only three states have received an “A” rating including Arkansas, Connecticut, and Louisiana.
Be sure to visit https://livingdonor.kidneyfund.org/grading/ to see where your State stands!
Raise Your Voice
You have the power to make an impact. If living donation is a cause that is near and dear to your heart, contact your representative encouraging them to support the national Living Donor Protection Act. You can identify and reach out to your Senator and Congressperson by visiting www.senate.gov and www.house.gov respectively.
Are you raising your voice on a policy issue?
We want to hear from you! Reach out to lilly@patientauthentic.com for the chance to get your policy work featured in TransplantNation.
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