MACo Legislative Director Natasha Mehu testified in support of HB 1417 – Dialysis Patient Transportation Fund and Task Force to Study the Dialysis Patient
Transportation Fund. This bill establishes a fund and task force to address the pressing and costly issue of dialysis patient transport.

While the bill sponsor withdrew the bill at the hearing, she urged for the committee to move forward with a task force to further explore solutions to the transports and county costs.

From the MACo Testimony:

The growing demand for dialysis transport and stagnant state and federal funding to cover costs have put a strain on local governments’ ability to provide this service to residents who rely on it. This type of transport is particularly challenging and costly for counties to provide as patients require multiple direct curb-to-curb trips per week to treatment centers on precise schedules. This is very different than the fixed routes that are typical for other transit services provided by counties. Dialysis centers and their patients rely on these transports free of charge—forcing counties to shoulder the mounting costs.

.  . .Counties believe this task force would help refine the Fund and ensure the resources to support county costs to provide dialysis transports are being adequately collected and provided. MACo welcomes the opportunity to serve on this body.

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2020 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.