September 20, 2016 The Honorable Ron Kind 1502 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman Kind: On behalf of the American Society of Nephrology’s (ASN) more th an 16,000 physicians, scientists, nurses, and other health professionals, thank you f or your leadership and dedication to the more than 20 million Americans with kidney disease. You r commitment to helping these Americans is epitomized by your introduction of the Comprehensi ve Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2016. ASN strongly supports this bipartisan legislation and is commit ted to working with you and your fellow original sponsor, Congressman Burgess, and the entire kidney and transplant commu nity in advocating for passage of this legislation. More than 100,0 00 Americans are wait-listed for a kidney, and 12 Americans die each day waiting for a kidney tran splant; this crucial legislation to help maintain the health of all transplanted kidneys and transp lant recipients by ensuring access to immunosuppressive drugs could not be more timely. Transplantation is the optimal form of therapy for the majority of patients with kidney failure. It is also the most cost-effective form of therapy for kidney failure . Unfortunately, maintaining access to the immunosuppressive drugs needed to keep transplant ed kidneys healthy remains a challenge for far too many Americans who have received the gi ft of life. By ensuring patient access of these all-important m edications, your legislation wil l help protect Medicare’s investment in the transplants and ensure the highest quality of life for people to kidney transplant recipients. ASN commends you for your leadership on this vitally important issue, and stands ready to help you and your staff in any way nec essary to pass this legislatio n. Again, thank you for your commitment to the kidney and transplant community and to the mi llions of Americans with kidney disease. Sincerely, Raymond C. Harris, MD, FASN President