04/22/09  - Governor Beshear Signs Kidney Care Joint Resolution

Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Governor Steve Beshear
Signing Statement HJR 52


The devastating medical impact of something as wretched as End State Renal Disease is bad enough without the added dimension of a devastating financial impact as well.

With this in mind, we are here today to sign House Joint Resolution 52, another step in an effort to ensure that access to high-quality kidney care services is preserved.

The issues of access and affordability are complex problems affecting almost every level of medical care.

In state government we have a moral obligation to look out for our vulnerable populations, and people who are suffering from these diseases certainly fall in that category.

This bill seeks progress for patients undergoing dialysis by requiring fiscal analysis of cost, encouraging cooperation and insisting that commitments to care be honored by insurers as well as providers.

I thank Rep. Susan Westrom for her leadership on this issue.