Advocacy & Public Policy

Kidney Health Advocacy

A Message From ASN President Samir M. Parikh, MD, FASN

February 28, 2026

Dear Colleague:

As the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) continues to advance kidney health through policy, research, and education, ASN remains focused on ensuring that federal health programs and payment models support high-quality and equitable kidney care. This month, ASN's advocacy efforts span regulatory engagement, payment and quality policy, and public discourse. Earlier this month, I also had the opportunity to elevate kidney health in the national conversation through a Letter to the Editor published in New York Times that highlighted the successful passage of the Honor Our Living Donors (HOLD) Act (below) and underscored the urgent need to reduce barriers to living kidney donation and expand access to transplantation while protecting donors. The HOLD Act was a top ASN advocacy priority last year, and I am proud that the society was involved with this important bill from its inception through enactment.

Together, these efforts reflect ASN's commitment to shaping policies that protect patients, strengthen the kidney workforce, and promote innovation across the care continuum.

1) ASN Comments on the Calendar Year 2027 Medicare Advantage Advance Notice
ASN submitted formal comments on the Calendar Year 2027 Medicare Advantage Advance Notice, emphasizing the need for payment policies that appropriately account for the complexity of caring for people with kidney diseases. In its comments, ASN raised concerns about risk adjustment, network adequacy, and the potential for payment changes to exacerbate access challenges for patients with chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. ASN also urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to ensure that Medicare Advantage policies support continuity of care and do not unintentionally limit access to nephrology services.

2) ASN Responds to Alternative Payment Model Updates and the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model
ASN also submitted comments on proposed updates to Alternative Payment Models, including the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model. In its comments, ASN expressed support for efforts to expand access to kidney transplantation, while urging careful implementation to avoid unintended consequences for transplant centers, nephrologists, and patients. ASN also emphasized the importance of appropriate benchmarks, meaningful clinician engagement, and safeguards to ensure equity and patient-centered outcomes.

3) ASN Applauds the Passage of the Honor Our Living Donors (HOLD) Act

A policy priority championed by ASN, the bipartisan HOLD Act was enacted on February 3, 2026, to improve financial support for living donors. The law removes financial barriers for living organ donors by ensuring federal reimbursement eligibility is based solely on the donor's income, not the recipient's, helping mitigate out-of-pocket costs like travel, lost wages, and dependent care.

4) ASN Opposes Proposal That Would Weaken Quality Measurement
ASN opposed Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement proposal to establish a new status for measure deferrals beyond six years. In its comments, ASN raised concerns that the proposal could weaken accountability, delay necessary measure refinement, and perpetuate the use of measures that are no longer clinically meaningful. ASN also reaffirmed its commitment to quality measurement that is evidence-based, patient-centered, and continuously improved.

5) ASN Applauds Advancement of Living Donor Protection Act in Senate

ASN applauded the markup of the Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 by the Senate Committee on Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions on Thursday, February 26, 2026—the most significant progress the Living Donor Protection Act has ever achieved, and a gateway step to being considered by the full Senate. "Living donors are heroes who deserve more support than the current system provides for them. By eliminating concerns about getting time off work to recover and obtaining insurance in the future, the Living Donor Protection Act is an important step to better support the living donors who save the lives of their fellow Americans on a daily basis," said ASN President Samir M. Parikh, MD, FASN.

As ASN looks ahead to National Kidney Month this month and beyond, member engagement remains central to advancing these priorities. I encourage ASN members to participate in the upcoming 2026 ASN NephroEconomics course, "Keeping up with changes in Kidney Care." The webinar will concentrate on three key areas: current regulatory affairs, transplant modernization, and the economics of innovation. The virtual course on April 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT is exclusive to all ASN members. Registration is now open and will close on April 16.

Thank you for your continued dedication to advancing kidney health. ASN looks forward to working with you in the months ahead to ensure that policy decisions reflect the needs of patients, clinicians, and the broader kidney community.

Sincerely,
Samir M. Parikh, MD, 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.