Delaware legislature enacts protections for living organ donors
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The American Kidney Fund announced its support for the passing of S.B. 218, which helps protect living donors in Delaware.
The bill, introduced in the Delaware Senate by Sen. Ernesto Lopez (SD 6), prohibits life, disability and long-term care insurers from discriminating against living organ donors, according to an AKF press release. Gov. John Carney’s signing of the bill guaranteed that insurers will not be able to deny living organ donors coverage or charge them higher premiums based on their status as an donor.
“Donating an organ is one of the most selfless acts a person can take. Saving someone’s life through living organ donation should never mean being denied, charged more for or losing, life, disability or long-term care insurance coverage,” LaVarne A. Burton, president and CEO of AKF, said in the release. “By prohibiting discriminatory insurance practices against living organ donors, S.B. 218 removes barriers to living organ donation and makes more transplants possible.”
As Healio previously reported, the AKF graded Delaware poorly on its protection laws in the annual Living Donor Protection Report Card. However, the passing of S.B. 218 is the second law to protect living donors in the state, bringing the report card grade for Delaware from a D to a C.
“This legislation will increase the number of kidneys and other organs available for the thousands of Delawareans awaiting transplantation,” Burton said in the release.
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