BILL TO EXPAND PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE AND SAVE LIVES PASSES COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY

The following information was released by the Colorado Senate Democrats:

Written By Senate Democrats

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee today unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to expand preventive health care coverage to combat chronic kidney disease (CKD).

HB26-1019, sponsored by Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, would ensure early-stage kidney function screening services, including urine or blood tests, are considered preventive health care by insurance carriers.

"Improving access to early kidney function screenings saves lives and can lower the cost of health care for everyone," said Roberts. "Chronic kidney disease impacts thousands of Coloradans, and finding it early means treatment is less expensive and more effective. Every Coloradan deserves access to preventive care that can improve their quality of life and keep them healthy for the long-haul."

Also sponsored by Senator Janice Rich, R-Grand Junction, HB26-1019 would save patients money on health care and encourage early detection of CKD, especially for high-risk patients with hypertension or diabetes. It would require private health insurance companies, including large, small and individual employers, to cover early-stage kidney function screening services without cost-sharing with patients.

CDK affects more than one in seven adults, equating to an estimated 35.5 million Americans. Diabetes, high blood pressure and a family history of kidney disease can increase risk factors. Despite the prevalence of kidney disease, early-stage kidney disease often has little to no symptoms. Nine in 10 adults do not know they have CKD until the disease advances into the late stages. The cost of treatment in the late stages of CDK is significantly more expensive than if treated early on, often surprising patients with massive medical costs just as they begin to grapple with symptoms of the disease. In 2024, more than 8,700 Colorado residents were living with kidney failure, according to the American Kidney Fund.