Increase Living Kidney Donations, support LDPA in Vermont (H.590)

Living organ donation saves lives. But, in Vermont, there are limited protections in place for living organ donors – a donor could lose their life insurance coverage, or the policy could be changed simply because they made the selfless decision to donate a kidney. There is also no guaranteed medical leave for donation, or financial support for non-medical costs.

Thousands of people are on the kidney transplant waiting list, and every day, 13 members of the kidney disease community die waiting for a kidney. We must reduce barriers to donation and encourage more people to donate life. As a part of this effort, Rep. Daniel Noyes filed Vermont's Living Donor Protection Act, H.590, which prohibits insurance providers from cancelling or revising someone's life, disability and long-term care insurance solely because they are a donor. The bill also updates Vermont's parental and family leave policies to include organ donation as an acceptable reason for leave.

People should not lose their coverage or pay higher premiums just because they are organ donors. Will you email your legislators in support of living organ donation protections and H.590?

Click here to email your state legislators and ask them to support and co-sponsor H.590.

Do you know other kidney advocates in Vermont? Please share this message with them! We want to make sure everyone in our community is aware of this important legislation.