Why It Matters
The Kidney Care Access Coalition Inc. ended its relationship with Checkmate Government Relations LLC in the second quarter of 2026, according to an LDA termination filing signed May 27. The filing reported $80,000 in lobbying activity on health care issues, specifically the Restore Protecting for Dialysis Patients Act.
The coalition had been working with Checkmate's health care practice lead, Caitlin Koury, managing partner Ches McDowell IV, and public affairs director Chris LaCivita Jr. on issues tied to H.R. 2199 and S. 1173, the House and Senate versions of the legislation.
The Broader Context
The Kidney Care Access Coalition was formed in response to a Supreme Court ruling that eliminated a 30-month window during which new dialysis patients could maintain private insurance before transitioning to Medicare. The bills the coalition was lobbying for would restore that protection by prohibiting insurers from limiting benefits in ways that disproportionately affect patients with end-stage renal disease.
The stakes are significant for dialysis providers. Roughly 20 percent of dialysis clinics operate in rural areas, and the loss of private insurance revenue, which typically reimburses at higher rates than Medicare, has put financial pressure on clinics that serve some of the most geographically isolated patients in the country.
H.R. 2199 and S. 1173 would amend Section 1862(b)(1)(C) of the Social Security Act to bar private health plans from singling out dialysis services for disfavored treatment. Both bills are in the 119th Congress and have not been enacted.
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