KidneyVoter™ Campaign: Engaging Communities for Health Policy Change
The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) has reached the halfway point of its ambitious KidneyVoter™ campaign, an initiative aimed at engaging communities impacted by chronic kidney ailments and affiliated disorders.
This campaign, inaugurated in September 2026, targets a spectrum of stakeholders including patients, healthcare professionals, and medical innovators across 25 states. With a focus on chronic kidney, cardiovascular, and metabolic conditions, the campaign seeks to drive awareness and inspire legislative changes that impact individuals affected by these health issues. Given that kidney disease alone afflicts over 37 million Americans, and cardiovascular and metabolic health conditions affect more than a quarter of the adult population, the campaign's relevance is profound.
Statewide Target for Expanded Impact
The AAKP's October outreach will prioritize states with significant populations managing multiple chronic diseases such as Texas, Florida, and Georgia. This builds on the campaign's success in 2024, which mobilized over 500,000 supporters. The association envisions engaging over one million participants by the 2028 elections, highlighting the growing momentum and widespread support.
Key Legislative Goals
AAKP President Edward V. Hickey, III, who personally battles chronic kidney disease, is leading the initiative to influence health policy changes. These include safeguarding employment rights for organ donors, accelerating new transplant drug approvals, and reforming Medicare payment systems to support timely access to emerging treatments. Such initiatives are crucial as they directly address the real-world challenges faced by those living with Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic conditions.
"Participants are united in fighting for policy changes that protect and enhance the lives of individuals with kidney-related conditions," said Edward V. Hickey, III.— Edward V. Hickey, III, President, AAKP
The campaign also tackles the shortcomings in current healthcare practices, like the inadequate recognition of kidney diseases and the need for widespread early screenings. Additionally, KidneyVoters™ are encouraged to spotlight critical issues, such as the influence of large dialysis corporations and the oversight in government health recommendations.
Long-Term Advocacy and Strategic Vision
Paul T. Conway, Vice President of AAKP and a seasoned kidney patient himself, emphasizes that the informed patient community increasingly resists political and institutional inertia that hampers advancements in healthcare. The passage of the Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA) stands as a pivotal legislative goal. Supported broadly in Congress, this bill seeks to ensure that organ donors are not discriminated against or penalized by employers, fostering job protection and recognition for their life-saving contributions.
| Objective | Description |
|---|---|
| Legislative Advocacy | Influencing policies for better health access and safety for donors |
| Community Engagement | Building awareness through programs like KidneyVoter™ campaign |
| Public Awareness | Highlighting kidney health through social and legislative platforms |
Continuing efforts such as the All Kidney Policy is Local™ campaign reflects AAKP's strategy to engage patients with policy makers actively. These initiatives collectively form the Decade of the Kidney™ strategy, which supports innovations in kidney care, aligning with national kidney health policies set forth in 2019. The organization remains steadfast in providing advocacy training and encouraging patient involvement in legislative processes to support crucial kidney health policies.