Legislation that would provide lifetime immunosuppressive drug coverage for patients who receive a kidney transplant regardless of age is heading for a House vote.

H.R. 5534, the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2019, “passed a procedure hurdle in the House Energy and Commerce Committee ... and reported out” to allow the full House to vote on the legislation, according to the National Kidney Foundation’s Advocacy and Action blog.

The bill was in a group of 29 other bills reviewed and marked up by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Congress member Michael Burgess, MD, R-TX, the ranking member of the subcommittee on health and the lead Republican co-sponsor of the bill, said in a press release: “There is momentum to make a difference in the lives of kidney patients, and H.R. 5534 is a critical component of this effort. This bill will improve patients’ adherence to immunosuppressive drugs and help to ensure that patients can maintain their transplants to hopefully avoid future kidney-related health care complications.”

The bill has 67 co-sponsors in the House and 11 co-sponsors in the Senate.

Published here.