Immuno Bill Passes in Senate

After nearly 20 years of tireless advocacy from the transplant stakeholder community and some very committed Congressional leaders, the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act (Immuno Bill) was passed by the U.S. Congress.

The AST commends Senators Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Durbin (D-IL) and Congressmen Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) and Kind (D-WI) for their steadfast support and commitment over many sessions of Congress to make today’s passage a reality. 

The AST, representing a majority of medical professionals engaged in solid organ transplantation, has long advocated for removing the 36-month immunosuppressive drug coverage limitation for kidney transplant patients. The Immuno Bill passage has remained a top legislative priority for the Society for nearly two decades. During this time, AST conducted dozens of targeted Capitol Hill Fly-Ins, connecting-the-dots between members of Congress, transplant medical professionals, patients, and families that reside and work in their Congressional districts and states.  Society leaders have also testified in support of the Immuno Bill before the House Energy & Commerce Committee and conducted comprehensive grassroots activities to drive co-sponsorship and overall support for the legislation. Additionally, AST has partnered on many occasions with members of Congress to host Congressional educational briefings to garner support for the Immuno Bill and hosted a Transplant Patient Summit with Congressional leaders that focused on the need to eliminate kidney patient’s 36-month immunosuppressive drug coverage limitation.