ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Kidney Fund (AKF) released the following statement on California Governor Jerry Brown’s veto of SB 1156. The statement may be attributed to LaVarne A. Burton, president and chief executive officer of the American Kidney Fund:
"The American Kidney Fund commends Governor Brown for protecting California’s low-income dialysis and transplant patients from the disastrous effects of SB 1156. By vetoing SB 1156—which was introduced and passed through the legislature at the behest of health insurers and the SEIU—the Governor allows the state’s kidney failure patients to continue receiving AKF’s support to stay insured.
"For 21 years, low-income California kidney patients have turned to AKF and our federally approved Health Insurance Premium Program for help with the devastating financial impacts that accompany this disease. This year alone, we have helped close to 4,000 people statewide. We are grateful that Governor Brown recognized the importance of AKF’s program to the people of California.
"AKF will continue to advocate for dialysis and transplant patients and against similar legislation or policy anywhere in the United States that targets chronically ill people living with kidney failure."
About the American Kidney Fund
As the nation’s leading nonprofit working on behalf of the 30 million Americans with kidney disease, the American Kidney Fund is dedicated to ensuring that every kidney patient has access to health care, and that every person at risk for kidney disease is empowered to prevent it. AKF provides a complete spectrum of programs and services: prevention outreach, top-rated health educational resources, and direct financial assistance enabling 1 in 5 U.S. dialysis patients to access lifesaving medical care, including dialysis and transplantation. AKF holds the highest ratings from the nation’s charity watchdog groups, including Charity Navigator, which includes AKF on its “top 10” list of nonprofits with the longest track records of outstanding stewardship of the donated dollar, and GuideStar, which has awarded AKF its Platinum Seal of Transparency.
For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.