Statement from Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation On Major Wins for the Kidney Community in the FY2026 Federal Budget
New York City, NY (February 5, 2026) - “There are some major wins in the just passed FY2026 Federal Budget for the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease and the thousands more waiting for a second chance at life through transplantation.
The bipartisan agreement delivers critical investments in kidney disease research and prevention, continues long-overdue modernization of the U.S. transplant system, and removes financial barriers for living donors through the inclusion of the Honor our Living Donors, or HOLD Act. These are tangible, meaningful changes that will save lives, improve outcomes, and make the system fairer for patients and families.
We are especially encouraged to see the HOLD Act included in this package. The National Kidney Foundation has long championed the view that living kidney donors should bear no expenses associated with donation. Eliminating income-based eligibility for reimbursement of living donor expenses through the National Living Donor Assistance Center (NLAC) is along-overdue step towards that goal—and a major step toward making donation accessible to all who are willing to give the gift of life.
We also applaud the continued commitment to reforming the U.S. transplant system and increasing funding for kidney research and early detection efforts at NIH and CDC. These provisions reflect the power of advocacy and the strength of our community.
On behalf of the National Kidney Foundation, I want to thank the lawmakers, donors, caregivers, and patients who helped make these victories possible. We look forward to working with our partners across government and healthcare to ensure this funding is implemented in a way that delivers on its promise to transform kidney care.”
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, CKD remains an under-recognized public health burden that impacts 1 in 7 adults, and 90 percent of those affected are unaware of their condition. Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults are at risk for CKD, but less than 20% are assessed with guideline-recommended testing, eGFR and uACR. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to develop kidney failure. Hispanic and Native American people experience kidney failure at approximately double the rate of White people.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.
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