Bill focuses on fighting kidney disease

Bill focuses on fighting kidney disease
08/06/2008 05:48 PM
By: Bryn Hough

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- In North Carolina, more than 11,000 people suffer from some type of deadly kidney disease. Even more have chronic kidney disease, and most of these patients stay alive with the help of dialysis. It’s a treatment that costs taxpayers millions of dollars each year.

William Peoples Jr. considers the chair at the Davinta Dialysis Center in Kannapolis as his second home. “[The dialysis machine] is my kidney three days a week, five hours a day,” he said. “I thank God for this process because it’s the only reason I’m still here.”

Peoples was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease about 10 years ago. He’s one of 26 million people across the country living with the disease. About 400,000 American’s on dialysis are on Medicare – taking up about 6 percent of the national Medicare budget.

A recent bill to change Medicare focused on chronic kidney disease. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole supported the measure, and was in Kannapolis on Wednesday to discuss the approved bill.

“The legislation is designed to provide for research and for education and for helping people learn what their options are,” she said.

Peoples, who uses Medicare to pay for his treatment, will be one of those helped by the bill. “Ten years from now I will hopefully have a kidney transplant, be a better advocate for kidney disease.”

About 67,000 people die each year because of kidney failure. That’s up 16 percent from 10 years ago. Doctors say diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity are some of the main causes of kidney disease.

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