By Bob Katzen

The Health Care Financing Committee held a hearing on legislation that would reverse the exclusion of under-age 65 with a diagnosis of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD or kidney failure) from being able to purchase Medicare Supplement health insurance plans, also called Medigap.

Supporters said this bill would ensure that Medicare-eligible Bay Staters under the age of 65 with ESRD – who are on Medicare but not the Massachusetts Medicaid program (called non-duals) have the same legally protected access to affordable Medigap plans as they would have if they had gotten sick at age 65.

“As someone who survived and knows firsthand the fear, the cost and the uncertainty that come with kidney failure, I filed this bill because no one should be denied the coverage they need simply because they got sick before turning 65,” said sponsor Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “Massachusetts is one of only four states that still blocks younger ESRD patients from accessing affordable Medigap plans, and that barrier keeps too many people from financial stability and lifesaving transplants. This legislation is a simple, long overdue fix that will finally give hundreds of patients the protection and dignity they deserve.”