Newswise — Washington, DC (March 12, 2025) – The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) commends Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) for introducing legislation to better support living donors, the Honor Our Living Donors (HOLD) Act.
“No American should face out- of -pocket costs for giving the gift of life as a living kidney donor,” said ASN President Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, MD, PhD, FASN. "The HOLD Act advances that goal by simplifying the process by which living donors can offset the costs associated with donating a kidney. I commend Senators Boozman and Luján for their leadership, which will allow more of the nearly 100,000 Americans on the waitlist to benefit from a lifesaving kidney transplant,” Dr. Roy-Chaudhury added.
While the federal government provides limited financial assistance to living donors, currently, the income of the transplant recipient is primarily assessed to determine eligibility for the program, even though only the donors can receive offsets for costs incurred in the process of donating a kidney.
“While a transplant recipient’s insurance covers the cost of donation surgery, donors face thousands of dollars of direct out-of-pocket costs in order to donate an organ for expenses such as dependent care and travel for donor evaluation,” stated ASN Transplant Policy Committee Chair Roslyn B. Mannon, MD, FASN. “The HOLD Act would streamline the provision of support to living donors by ensuring only the organ donor’s income is tested, allowing federal support for living donors to flow more directly to the people who need it most.”
Senators Boozman and Luján’s bill joins companion legislation recently introduced in the House led by Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA). Advocating for the swift enactment of the HOLD Act in the United States Congress is a top legislative priority for ASN and will be a key ask ASN members will bring to their Congressional delegations on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
About ASN
Since 1966, ASN has been leading the fight to prevent, treat, and cure kidney diseases throughout the world by educating health professionals and scientists, advancing research and innovation, communicating new knowledge and advocating for the highest quality care for patients. ASN has nearly 22,000 members representing 141 countries. For more information, visit and follow us on , , , and .
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