NKF Joined HHS Roundtable on Improving Kidney Care

More than 1 in 7 U.S. adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet about 9 in 10 do not know they have it. Because CKD often develops without noticeable symptoms, many people miss the opportunity to start treatment early. Finding kidney disease sooner can help people protect their kidney function and reduce their risk of kidney failure.

For people already living with kidney failure, access to care and treatment choices remain essential. Improving kidney health means supporting people throughout their journey, from diagnosis and treatment to dialysis and transplantation.

Answer a few simple questions to find out if you are one of the 33% of adults in the U.S. at risk.

The event brought federal health leaders and key kidney stakeholders together to focus attention on kidney health.

The Kidney Care National Plan includes policy recommendations that HHS can carry out. NKF is supportive of many of the recommendations included in the report. Specifically, NKF believes the recommendations of screening and detection, increasing home dialysis, improving the dialysis care system, and improving the transplant system could have meaningful impacts for patients living with kidney disease.

Read NKF’s Senior Vice President for Government Relations statement following the event.

Melissa Bensouda, an NKF advocate and transplant recipient, also joined the roundtable to bring lived experience to the conversation about improving care. 

“I was extremely encouraged to hear firsthand that early detection and prevention are prioritized in the Kidney Care National Plan. As someone whose kidney disease was not detected until several months after symptoms began, I understand the importance of timely screening. It was a simple urine test that ultimately led to my diagnosis. My journey has since included kidney failure, dialysis, and transplantation, reinforcing how critical early detection can be for patients. 

Expanding access to kidney disease screening, particularly for those at higher risk, creates opportunities for earlier intervention, potentially slowing disease progression and preserving kidney function. At-risk populations should not have to wait for symptoms to appear or persist before kidney disease is identified. Early screening leads to early diagnosis, more treatment options, and a better quality of life."

Patients understand how care decisions affect their ability to work, spend time with family, and plan for the future. Their experiences are essential to understanding whether a policy is meeting the needs of the people it is intended to serve.

NKF has called on HHS and Congress to make kidney disease prevention and earlier diagnosis a greater national priority. That work includes helping people understand their risk and supporting proven approaches to improve care.

As federal leaders consider changes to kidney care, NKF will continue working to ensure that patient priorities guide those decisions. NKF will also review the policies discussed at the roundtable and share what they could mean for people living with kidney disease and their families.

Join NKF’s Voices for Kidney Health to stay informed and speak up for policies that improve access to care.