AST President Dr. Robert Gaston traveled to Capitol Hill to have breakfast with Congressman Dr. Michael Burgess (R-TX). Co-Chairman for the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, Burgess is the transplant champion introducing the comprehensive immunosuppressive drug coverage for the kidney transplant patients act.

During the course of conversation, Congressman Burgess outlines a discussion he recently had with CMS Administrator Don Berwick on the necessity of patient immuno coverage expansion. Burgess is meeting again with Berwick at CMS in the coming weeks. Burgess is also introducing legislation to address the issue in the very near future.

AST has been working very closely with Capitol Hill to re-introduce important coverage expansion for transplant patients. Read the Congressional "Dear Colleague" letter from Congressmen Burgess (R-TX) and Kind (D-WI).