Kidney Patients’ Guide to the CONNECT for Health Act

Telehealth services have become a lifeline for many kidney patients in recent years. The CONNECT for Health Act could make these services permanently available. 

Here's what you need to know.

• Why Telehealth Matters for Kidney Patients
• What is the CONNECT for Health Act?
• How Telehealth Benefits Different Kidney Patients
• Current Status and What's at Risk
• How You Can Help
• Looking Forward
• Top 3 Takeaways

If you're living with kidney disease, you know the challenges of managing frequent appointments, monitoring your condition, and coordinating care between multiple specialists. 

Telehealth has transformed this experience for many patients, offering:

• Reduced travel burden when fatigue and mobility are concerns
• Better access to specialists, especially in areas with nephrologist shortages
• Improved care coordination with your entire healthcare team
• More frequent check-ins to catch potential problems earlier
• Easier family involvement in understanding your care needs

Without new legislation, however, these telehealth benefits could disappear.

The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act is bipartisan legislation designed to make permanent many telehealth flexibilities that were temporarily authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If passed, this bill would:

• Allow telehealth appointments from your home
• Remove geographic restrictions limiting telehealth availability
• Ensure rural health clinics and community health centers can offer telehealth
• Expand the types of healthcare providers who can offer telehealth services
• Protect access to audio-only telehealth for those without video capabilities

For People with Kidney Disease

Telehealth allows your nephrologist to:

• Check lab results and adjust medications remotely
• Monitor home blood pressure readings
• Discuss diet and lifestyle adjustments
• Address concerns quickly before they become serious problems

For Dialysis Patients

Telehealth is particularly valuable if you're on dialysis:

• Home dialysis patients can connect with their care team without additional travel
• In-center dialysis patients can have supplementary appointments without extra trips
• Care teams can remotely monitor dialysis sessions and vital signs
• Virtual visits reduce exposure to infections when your immune system is compromised

For Transplant Recipients

If you've received a kidney transplant:

• More frequent check-ins with your transplant team become possible
• Medication adjustments can be made promptly
• Early signs of rejection or complications can be caught sooner
• Fewer trips to the transplant center are needed, especially if you live far away

Currently, expanded telehealth access has been temporarily extended but is set to expire. Without the permanent protections offered by the CONNECT for Health Act, kidney patients may lose access to telehealth services that many now rely on.

The bill has strong bipartisan support, with senators from both parties recognizing the value telehealth brings to patients with chronic conditions like kidney disease.

If telehealth has made a difference in your kidney care:

• Contact Your Representatives: Call or email your senators and representative to share why telehealth matters to you.
• Share Your Experience: Tell your story on social media, with patient groups, or directly with the National Kidney Foundation.
• Stay Informed: Follow updates on the CONNECT for Health Act through NKF's channels.

For kidney patients, telehealth isn't just convenient—it's about access to life-sustaining care. The CONNECT for Health Act would ensure all kidney patients, regardless of location or mobility status, can access specialized care.

By making telehealth options permanent, this legislation acknowledges what kidney patients already know: virtual care is an essential component of comprehensive, patient-centered kidney care.

Become a Voices for Kidney Health advocate today. 

Have questions about the CONNECT for Health Act or how it might affect your care? Contact the NKF Help Line at 855.NKF.CARES or nkfcares@kidney.org.