There is no greater act of selflessness than giving the gift of life. For the thousands of Americans waiting for a life-saving transplant, a living organ donor is more than just a medical solution –– it is a miracle.

Each day, 17 Americans – including many suffering from kidney failure and undergoing costly and painful dialysis treatments – die while waiting for an organ transplant. Right now, over 300 Arkansans are on the national transplant waiting list. They intimately understand the need to remove barriers and increase the pool of donors.

I am proud to share that we recently made important progress on their behalf.

The Honoring Our Living Donors (HOLD) Act, a bipartisan effort that I led with Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), was officially signed into law earlier this year.

March was National Kidney Month, serving as a reminder that 37 million American adults live with kidney disease and almost 92,000 of these patients are currently waiting to receive a new kidney. While the need is immense, only about 6,000 living donations take place each year.

The profound impact of this legislation is best understood through the eyes of those who live this reality every day. Dr. John Arthur, Director of the Division of Nephrology at UAMS, offers a unique perspective as both a leading kidney specialist and a transplant recipient himself. 

“It is humbling to know that another human being would be willing to go through the workup and surgery involved in donating a kidney when it provides no benefit to them but changes the life of someone else in such a huge way,” he said. “Even though I am a kidney doctor as well as a kidney patient, the journey toward getting a kidney transplant is overwhelming at times. One major part of that is knowing that you are asking your kidney donor to make such a sacrifice. It is wonderful to know that more kidney donors can now be assisted because of the HOLD Act.” 

This policy reform will improve the living donor reimbursement process, which is critical given the costs of traveling, lodging, childcare and lost wages during recovery can easily exceed $10,000 for living donors. 

For many hardworking families in Arkansas and across the country, that can create an insurmountable financial burden that deters donation. The status quo of leaving those willing to donate with a mountain of debt while they heal had to change. 

The HOLD Act does so while supporting more low and middle-income donors, eliminating income-based restrictions and delivering savings to Medicare. Now, the focus can remain on those waiting to receive the “gift of life.”

But this is also a win for taxpayers. Chronic kidney disease is one of the most significant drivers of Medicare spending, with dialysis alone costing the federal government more than $30 billion annually. A single kidney transplant can save the healthcare system hundreds of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of a patient.

In a time where medical costs continue to rise, it’s more important than ever to find solutions that prioritize both fiscal responsibility and human life. I am pleased that passage of this measure will ensure no Arkansan is forced to choose between their financial stability and the opportunity to save a life through organ donation. 

Policies that protect life and spread hope are rare. Because of this bill, more loved ones will be there to hold the hand of living donors and transplant patients for years to come.