Advocacy & Public Policy

Kidney Health Advocacy

A Message From ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, MD, PhD, FASN

Dear Colleague:

I am pleased to share the latest advocacy updates from the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). This month, ASN continued its leadership in protecting patient safety, defending medical research, and ensuring equitable data collection to advance kidney health.

1) ASN Opposes NIH Policy on Lump-Sum Grant Payments

ASN recently called on National Institutes of Health Director Jayanta Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, to reverse a new policy that limits competing grants and shifts many research grants to lump-sum payments. In its missive, ASN warned this change would undermine the stability of kidney research funding, disproportionately harm early-career investigators, and reduce accountability in the grant process. Strong, predictable research support is essential to advancing kidney science, training the next generation of scientists, and improving care for the more than 37 million Americans living with kidney diseases.

2) ASN Supports Successful Effort to Reinstate IV Iron Product Names

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 8, 2025, granted a citizen petition—supported by ASN and submitted by CSL Vifor—restoring the original product names for intravenous (IV) iron therapies: iron sucrose, ferric gluconate, and iron dextran. The FDA's 2021 renaming of these products created widespread confusion among clinicians and pharmacists, raising concerns for patient safety. ASN applauds FDA's decision to reinstate the established product names and thanks CSL Vifor and the kidney community for their leadership in securing this critical correction.

3) ASN, NKF, and ANNA Urge CMS to Reinstate Race and Ethnicity Data on Form CMS-2728

ASN, in partnership with the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA), sent a joint letter urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reinstate collection of race and ethnicity data on Form CMS-2728, the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Medical Evidence Report. This information is crucial for understanding and addressing disparities in kidney health, guiding equitable policy, and supporting high-quality care for every American with kidney failure. ASN believes that restoring these fields will strengthen CMS's ability to improve the quality of health care in the kidney community.

As always, I thank you for your commitment to the patients, research, and policies that define our field. To stay up to date on these and other advocacy efforts, please visit ASN's Kidney Health Advocacy page.

 Sincerely,

Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, MD, PhD, FASN
President

Advocating for Transformative Change

ASN—both individually and as a member of healthcare, medical, and scientific coalitions—routinely engages Congress and the Trump Administration, advocating for policies to create transformative changes in kidney health. ASN relies on its Health Care Justice Committee, Policy and Advocacy Committee, Quality Committee, and Transplant Policy Committee when formulating, prioritizing, and accomplishing annual policy priorities. A summary of ASN's most recent advocacy efforts follows—including for fiscal year (FY) 2026 kidney health research—in reverse chronological order.

Additional Advocacy Resources

February 2025: How Trump's Medical Research Cuts Would Hit Colleges and Hospitals in Every State (New York Times).

Council on Governmental Relations Facilities and Administrative Cost Reimbursement Advocacy Materials.

Association of American Medical Colleges Advocacy Resources on Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs:

• A fact sheet outlining key messages and a frequently asked questions overview.
• A comparison of foundations' support for F&A to government support.
• An infographic illustrating what types of expenses are and are not supported by F&A reimbursement.

January 2025: Research!America releases results of national survey showing Americans want President and Congress to assign higher priority to medical progress.