2025 Kidney Advocacy Wins: How NKF Helped Improved Care Nationwide

In 2025, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) remained committed to advocating for people with kidney disease—despite policy uncertainty, funding challenges, and pressures across the healthcare system. Together with passionate advocates, patients, and partners, we made meaningful progress on Capitol Hill, in state legislatures, and across federal health agencies. Each victory helps improve care for the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease.

When the kidney community needed champions, NKF advocates answered the call—standing up for patients navigating complex healthcare systems, providers delivering life-saving care under pressure, and researchers working to unlock tomorrow's breakthroughs.

2025 Kidney Patient Summit: Record-Breaking Advocacy

Our 2025 Kidney Patient Summit broke new ground with 112 advocates from 35 states conducting 171 Congressional meetings over two days in March. These dedicated individuals—patients, caregivers, living donors, and healthcare professionals—united around critical federal priorities, including funding OPTN modernization and advancing transplant system transparency.

Read more about the 2025 Kidney Patient Summit.

Board Hill Day: Leadership in Action

NKF Board members met directly with lawmakers to advocate for policies centered on patient needs and to share real-world challenges facing the kidney community.

August Congressional Meetings: Keeping Kidney Health a Priority

Advocates used the August Congressional recess to meet with lawmakers in their home districts, ensuring kidney health remained a priority during the summer legislative break. This continued NKF's momentum of more than 50 in-district meetings held in 2024.

Learn about advocate meetings with Congress.

World Kidney Day on Capitol Hill

In partnership with the Coalition for Kidney Health, NKF hosted a World Kidney Day event to educate Members of Congress and staff about kidney health and the urgent need for improved kidney disease prevention and treatment.

CKD in Rural America: Spotlighting Disparities

NKF's Congressional briefing on kidney disease in rural America brought much-needed attention to the unique challenges faced by rural patients, including:

• limited access to care
• transportation barriers
• healthcare provider shortages

CEO Kevin Longino and Elizabeth Montgomery, National VP of Clinical Practice Innovation and Population Health, emphasized how NKF’s CKDintercept program helps improve early detection and care by using real-world tools and strategies to improve outcomes and save money.

Learn more about CKDintercept.

Federal Living Donor Protection Act: Major 2025 Progress

2025 brought major progress for living donor protections at the federal level. In May, Senators Cotton and Gillibrand introduced the LDPA in the Senate. In July, we also celebrated new approaches to the bill in the House, moving these important protections forward.

Read NKF's statement on the Senate LDPA introduction.

State LDPA Expansion

In 2025, NKF testified in three additional states to expand LDPA protections. This builds on the strong momentum of the 35 states that have already passed LDPA legislation.

Improving Patient-Centered Care

NKF’s regulatory advocacy in 2025 focused on three major priorities:

• Improving early detection and screening
• Making dialysis more patient-centered
• Increasing access, transparency, and accountability in the transplant system

Modernizing the Transplant System

NKF strongly supported the Permanent OPTN Fee Authority Act and new HHS reforms. These changes help build a stronger, more transparent system for the 90,000+ patients waiting for kidney transplants.

Read about our support for OPTN modernization.

Supporting Transplant Innovation

NKF continued urging federal leaders to promote innovations in the transplant ecosystem—offering to bring patients, clinicians, and advocates into key conversations that shape the future of kidney care.

Read our advocacy efforts on transplant innovation.

Value-Based Care for CKD

As part of the Coalition for Kidney Health, NKF led a white paper with recommendations for CMMI to expand early CKD detection and management.

Read the Coalition for Kidney Health’s value-based care white paper.

CMS Dialysis Payment Rule Advocacy

NKF submitted detailed comments urging CMS to protect patient access in the 2026 ESRD Prospective Payment System. We focused on supporting rural and underserved patients and encouraging innovations that improve quality of life.

• Learn about our CMS dialysis payment rule advocacy
• Letter to CMS on the CY2026 ESRD PPS
• Summary Recommendations on the CY2026 ESRD PPS
• Blog summarizing NKF’s CMS comments

Expanding Access to Medical Nutrition Therapy

To support healthier outcomes, NKF advocated for better access to Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), emphasizing the importance of personalized dietitian support for managing kidney disease, blood pressure, and blood sugar.

Quality Measures to Improve Screening

NKF pushed for CKD-focused quality measures to ensure at-risk patients receive proper screening and follow-up.

FDA Phosphorus Labeling: A Major Step for Patients

In November, NKF led a coalition urging the FDA to require phosphorus and added phosphorus amounts on Nutrition Facts labels. This important change would help people with kidney disease better manage their phosphorus intake.

Read about our FDA phosphorus labeling campaign.

Despite significant pressure to cut federal health programs, NKF continued advocating for strong FY2026 investments in:

• OPTN modernization through HRSA ($67M)
• CDC’s CKD Initiative ($5.5M)
• NIDDK research funding

These investments are critical for driving innovation, prevention, and improved patient outcomes.

Partnering with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

NKF continued its Kidney Equity for All™ work at the CBCF Annual Legislative Conference, hosting kidney health screenings and addressing long-standing disparities in communities of color.

Learn about our CBCF partnership and kidney screenings.

Protecting Health Coverage

Throughout 2025, NKF collaborated with national partners to protect Medicaid and support expanded Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTCs) so kidney patients can access essential, affordable healthcare.

To celebrate 75 years of kidney advocacy, NKF hosted a special Virtual Birthday Call with CEO Kevin Longino and Senior Leadership to recognize advocates and their impact during a challenging year.

Explore NKF’s 75 years of progress.

The progress we made in 2025 shows what is possible when patients, families, providers, and researchers stand together during difficult times. Every meeting, story, and policy win brings us closer to a future where kidney disease is prevented, treated early, and ultimately cured.

The challenges of 2025 only strengthened our resolve. As we head into 2026, NKF will remain a steady voice for the kidney community—advocating for patients who depend on our healthcare systems, supporting providers delivering care under increasingly difficult circumstances, and pushing for the research needed to find better treatments and cures. 

Together, we turned challenges into opportunities and moved kidney health forward—one hard-fought victory at a time.

Take action with NKF to push for better kidney legislation.

Big wins are possible with your voice. Become a Voices for Kidney Health advocate today.