People Like Us
“People Like Us” is a growing movement to empower, educate and enable people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), transplant recipients, donors and family members to become effective advocates on issues related to their health. 
About
People Like Us includes the diverse perspectives and wealth of expertise provided by members of the NKF’s three long established constituent councils:
The Patient and Family Council works to ensure that people with kidney disease receive the best care possible and promotes patient and family involvement in life enhancing programs.
The National Donor Family Council serves donor families and works to increase the sensitivity and effectiveness of the organ recovery process.
The transAction Council promotes a better quality of life for transplant recipients by providing support, information and programs on education, fitness and research.
The NKF also offers many supportive and educational resources for living donors and potential donors. 
“People Like Us” In Action
People Like Us is the largest, most influential group of patient advocates representing people affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD), as well as individuals belonging to the organ donation and transplantation communities. Through People Like Us, concerned individuals are provided with the knowledge, skills and support needed to become agents of change kidney disease, donation and transplantation-related issues.
As People Like Us continues to grow in strength and numbers, we will continue to advocate for the health and well being of people with kidney disease, organ donors and donor families, and those who have received or are awaiting a transplant. To join in the efforts of this strong and effective patient advocacy organization join online or print out a form and either e-mail it to us at peoplelikeus@kidney.org or mail it back to us (30 East 33rd Street New York, New York 10016). Also, feel free to call us at (800) 622-9010. Access the Take Action Network.
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Top members of congress contacted by Take Action Network:
- Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
- Sen. John Cornyn (TX)
- Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA)
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA)
- Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY)
Last Action Alert Info (including top 3 rep's to receive alert, top 3 house members to receive alert): sent only to house members
"Congratulations! ESRD provisions in the Medicare bill become law!"
Sent 7/10/2008
Total messages sent: 310
Sen. John Cornyn (REP-TX)
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (REP-TX)
Sen. Bill Nelson (DEM-FL)
Reinforce the Medicare Vote Now!
Sent 7/11/2008
Total messages sent: 610
Sen. Arlen Specter (REP-PA)
Sen. Robert Casey (DEM-PA)
Sen. Charles Schumer (DEM-NY)
Top 5 states with the most registered Take Action Members
New York - 510 registered advocates
Florida - 423 registered advocates
California - 418 registered advocates
Pennsylvania - 312 registered advocates
Texas - 278 registered advocates
People Like Us Gets Results
"People Like Us" has been hard at work contacting key Members of the U.S. Congress on legislative proposals affecting those in the CKD, transplantation and organ donation community. The People Like Us Take Action Network has been extremely active writing letters to key elected officials on various public policy issues.
To learn more about our public policy initiatives, and to sign up for the "People Like Us" take action network, please go to www.kidney.org/takeaction.
People Like Us Get’s Results Archive
“People Like Us” Ask The U.S. Congress To Support Additional Medicare Benefits
On September 17-18, 2007, “People Like Us” members and NKF Affiliate staff from Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina traveled to Washington D.C. to learn how to become successful patient advocates, hear about public policy, and meet with key members of their state U.S. Congressional delegations. “People Like Us” members who participated in these advocacy activities included dialysis patients and transplant recipients who learned how to effectively communicate their personal stories to elected officials and their staffs, while asking that they support changes in Medicare that would provide pre-dialysis education courses and an extension of coverage of immunosuppressant drugs past the current 36 month period following a transplant. “People Like Us” members successfully convinced several Members of Congress to support these initiatives, and sign on as cosponsors of H.R. 3282, the “Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2007.” For more information on this and other kidney disease legislation, and how YOU can become involved, please visit our legislative action center and join the “People Like Us” take action network by clicking here http://capwiz.com/kidney/home/
