Buchanan, Doggett Lead Effort to Establish ‘Kidney Health Officer’ to Improve Prevention and Innovation

"Establishing A Kidney Health Officer at HHS Would Build on Existing Efforts, Strengthen Prevention Strategies and Help Ensure Patients Have Access to Care Sooner."

Lawmakers Partner with HHS to Advance Prevention, Innovation and Care for Millions with Chronic Kidney Disease

WASHINGTON - Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, and Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, led a bipartisan letter urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an Officer of Kidney Health and Transplantation to strengthen federal efforts to prevent and treat chronic kidney disease (CKD), which affects more than 37 million Americans.

The lawmakers are working with HHS to build on ongoing efforts by creating a centralized leadership role to better coordinate kidney care, research, education and quality initiatives across federal agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The proposal follows recommendations from the Health Subcommittee's recent hearing on improving kidney health through prevention and innovation.

"Kidney disease is a growing challenge in our country, and we have an opportunity to work together to better support patients through stronger coordination and prevention," said Buchanan. "Establishing a Kidney Health Officer at HHS would build on existing efforts, strengthen prevention strategies and help ensure patients have access to care sooner. We can't afford to wait until lives are at risk-prevention must come first to stop kidney disease before it takes hold."

"We cannot continue to treat kidney disease with 1970s-era solutions," said Doggett. "Establishing an Officer of Kidney Health and Transplantation could provide leadership to transform kidney disease from an expensive, life-threatening burden into a manageable condition, while saving both taxpayer dollars and, more importantly, American lives."

"A central office at HHS expressly focused on advancing kidney health could provide much-needed holistic oversight of CKD prevention work, while advancing innovation in a sector that is so desperately in need of change," write the lawmakers in the letter. "As the risk factors for CKD include many common chronic conditions that are on the rise across the United States-including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity-the work of such an office will become all the more relevant in the coming years, aligning with an agenda to advance prevention broadly."

Chronic kidney disease remains one of the most significant and costly health challenges in the United States, with federal spending reaching an estimated $150 billion annually. The lawmakers emphasized that continued progress in innovation, prevention and early detection will be critical to improving outcomes and reducing long-term costs. They also noted that kidney disease is often linked to other common conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity, underscoring the importance of early screening, preventive care and patient education.

In addition to being the Vice Chairman and most senior Republican on the powerful U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Buchanan is also the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, which has broad jurisdiction over traditional Medicare, the Medicare prescription drug benefit program and Medicare Advantage.

Read the full letter here or below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy and Administrator Oz,

The Committee on Ways and Means Health Subcommittee held a hearing on March 18, 2026, entitled "Improving Kidney Health Through Better Prevention and Innovative Treatment," that examined the barriers the 37 million Americans with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) experience in accessing care to slow the progression of the disease before it becomes irreversible. In her written testimony, Suzanne Watnick, M.D., representing the American Society of Nephrology, called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an Officer of Kidney Health and Transplantation that could "coordinate kidney care, research, education, value, and quality across the myriad HHS agencies with a role in kidney health, aligning incentives, reducing duplicative or misaligned efforts, and ensuring a shared strategy for kidney health in the United States." Such an individual could work closely with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce the need for End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) services covered through Medicare and ultimately improve patients' long-term outcomes, while reducing costs.

Across statements from the four witnesses who participated in the hearing, one theme was clear: Innovation in the kidney sector is virtually non-existent, with treatment modalities remaining largely unchanged since Medicare began paying for dialysis treatment services for individuals with ESRD in 1973. This reality stems from both the lack of research investment in this sector, as well as market and payment incentives that support the status quo. Kidney disease costs the federal government $150 billion annually, and yet research in cures is drastically underfunded, representing just two percent of National Institutes of Health funding. And even when innovation comes to market, the incentives in place limit meaningful patient access. We can and should do more to support the millions of individuals who suffer from kidney disease, through investing in research while also ensuring access to preventive medical care, proper screening, and lifestyle- and diet-related education to advance early detection and halt the disease before it turns into ESRD.

A central office at HHS expressly focused on advancing kidney health could provide much-needed holistic oversight of CKD prevention work, while advancing innovation in a sector that is so desperately in need of change. As the risk factors for CKD include many common chronic conditions that are on the rise across the United States-including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity-the work of such an office will become all the more relevant in the coming years, aligning with an agenda to advance prevention broadly.

We think this officer could be a step toward helping the millions of Americans who suffer from kidney disease every year, and we hope you will seriously consider this suggestion. We look forward to hearing from you and stand ready to support this important initiative.

Sincerely,

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