October AKF eNewsletter 

In this issue: Examining the altruism of kidney donation | Fight for health equity | Dialysis at Home event recap | 37 Mile Challenge contest | Kidney disease in the news | Health insurance benefit changes | Recipe: Cream cheese pumpkin muffins 

Examining the altruism of kidney donation

Donating a kidney to someone—whether to a stranger or loved one—is a huge sacrifice and an incredibly selfless act.

In this blog, we talk with neuroscientist and psychologist Abigail Marsh about this selflessness and her research investigating the brains of people who have taken the highly altruistic act of donating a kidney to a stranger.

Join our fight on health inequities

Black Americans make up 13% of the national population, yet they account for 35% of people with kidney failure.

It is time to speak up and make sure everyone gets the care they deserve, regardless of their demographics, like race or where they live. That is what health equity is all about and why we have made it a priority in our work.

Join us in our fight against these health disparities and sign up to stay up to date on everything we are doing to fight for health equity.

Dialysis at Home event recap

Last month, AKF and Home Dialyzors United (HDU) partnered for a second year in a row to host the annual Dialysis at Home: Kidney Community Event.

This blog post recaps some of these impactful sessions. You can also view the recordings on our YouTube page as well.

Take a picture of yourself wearing your 37 Mile Challenge t-shirt for a chance to win an AKF prize pack

Our 37 Mile Challenge is in full swing, and to cheer participants on, we are holding a selfie contest!

Simply take a picture of yourself out on a walk wearing your 37 Mile Challenge t-shirt and post it to the group. We will pick five selfies to win a prize pack including an AKF blanket, journal and hat!

Don’t have a 37 Mile Challenge t-shirt yet? Don’t worry, you can get one by raising $75 or more during the 37 Mile Challenge. Just click on this link to create your fundraiser and get started.

Kidney disease in the news

In this digest, you will find some headlines you may have missed that we feel are worth sharing:

• Millions of lives and billions of dollars: the need for earlier intervention in chronic kidney disease (Medical Economics)
• Newer Diabetes Meds Might Not Work as Well in Black Patients (U.S. News & World Report)
• FDA approves nedosiran for primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (Urology Times)
• FDA approves Jardiance to treat adults with CKD (Healio)
• Brief dialysis may be best for some kidney patients (Medical Xpress)
• 6-year-old receives life-saving kidney donation thanks to preschool teacher, voucher program (CBS Detroit)

Check your health plan for 2024

Open enrollment season for health insurance will soon be here. If you are on dialysis and you have employer-sponsored health insurance, it’s important to carefully read the terms of your policy or check with your human resources representative to find out if any changes have been made due to a 2022 decision from the Supreme Court related to group health plans.

As a result of this ruling, employer-sponsored health insurers are not required to offer outpatient dialysis services as an in-network benefit. For some people with kidney failure on employer-sponsored health plans, this means that for 2024, they may need to enroll in Medicare sooner than planned and/or their payments may increase due to higher out-of-pocket costs from no longer being in network.

If you are impacted and your dialysis treatments are no longer covered in network, please let AKF know so we can monitor how patients are being impacted and work toward policy change.

Recipe: Cream cheese pumpkin muffins

Recipe contributed by Linda Blaylock

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Chill time: 45 min

Heavenly, decadent and not too sweet. These muffins are like having a piece of pumpkin pie with a crunchy nut crust.

Pumpkin is not the only food that is perfect for the fall, though. For more recipes that use all of the flavors that fall has to offer, make sure to read our recent blog post on some of our favorite seasonal recipes!

AKF is committed to providing the kidney community with the latest resources to educate and empower people with kidney disease to receive the best care on their kidney journey. Our ongoing work is made possible by our generous donors and sponsors. Learn how you can join our community of supporters here.