The American Kidney Fund (AKF) released its fourth annual State of the States: Living Donor Protection Report Card. The report ranks the performance of all 50 states and the District of Columbia on how well their laws encourage living organ donation and reduce barriers for donors.
The report assigns a grade A, B, C, D, or F for seven different categories of publicly reported law in each state and the District of Columbia: antidiscrimination laws for life, disability, or long-term care insurance; job-protected leave from private employers; job-protected leave from public employers; tax credits for employers who provide paid leave; direct reimbursements, tax credits, or tax deductions for donor expenses; paid leave via state family and medical leave laws; and extended family and medical leave of more than 60 days.
Living kidney donation is the best option for someone needing a new kidney, yet six states—Alabama, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Vermont—received an F for offering no protections for donors. Only three states—Arkansas, Connecticut, and Louisiana—earned an A. Especially troubling is that the 15 states receiving D or F grades are home to nearly one in four of the nation’s rural population, which already faces challenges in accessing health care.
The results highlight the need for legislation focused on better support for living organ donors. “Where you live should not impact whether you are able to save a life through kidney donation, but our 2024 Report Card suggests that this may be the case,” said LaVarne A. Burton, president and CEO of AKF. “As a nation, we must come together to prioritize solutions at the state level for living organ donors to ultimately help improve treatment of kidney disease for all.”
To access the full report, visit kidneyfund.org/livingdonors.
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