AST urges Senate Finance Committee to adopt a health care provision for transplant drug extension

AST Delivers Letter to Senate Leadership

As the Senate Finance Committee prepares to vote on the amended health care reform package, members of the American Society of Transplantation (AST) arrived on Capitol Hill armed with a letter encouraging the Senate to adopt a health care provision that will extend Medicare's coverage of post-transplant drugs, which are critical to maintaining the health of the transplant patient. Immunosuppressive drugs are currently covered for a period of 36 months. Because the drugs are so costly, when coverage is exhausted, many kidney recipients have no choice but to go without medication, thereby compromising their health and the viability of the transplanted organ. The House has included the provision to extend coverage in its health reform bill. AST is pushing the Senate to do the same.

The AST letter, which can be read by going to www.a-s-t.org, states that the provision will allow kidney recipients to maintain their life-saving donor organ and will reduce overall Medicare Program costs, as the drugs are less costly than dialysis. Ultimately, extended immunosuppressive drug coverage is better for patients and cost effective for taxpayers.

SOURCE The American Society of Transplantation