HR0659LRB104 20572 LAW 34055 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, More than 1 in 7 American adults are estimated to 
3have chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet as many as 9 in 10 
4American adults with CKD do not know they have it; and
 
5    WHEREAS, At least 15% of Medicare beneficiaries have been 
6diagnosed with CKD; and
 
7    WHEREAS, While the two most common causes of kidney 
8disease are hypertension and heart disease, the third-leading 
9cause of kidney disease is glomerulonephritis, often caused by 
10rare, immune-mediated kidney diseases such as IgA nephropathy 
11(IgAN); and
 
12    WHEREAS, Patients with glomerular diseases frequently 
13advance to more costly and more debilitating later stages of 
14kidney disease, including end-stage renal disease (ESRD), more 
15quickly than patients with CKD in general, with estimates 
16suggesting that rare kidney diseases make up 5 to 10% of CKD 
17patients but account for approximately 25% of patients 
18receiving treatment for kidney failure; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Patients often face delays in being diagnosed 
20with IgAN and other immune-mediated kidney diseases, owing to 
21the difficulty of the rare disease diagnostic odyssey, the 
 
 
HR0659- 2 -LRB104 20572 LAW 34055 r

1limited number of nephrology providers, and a lack of 
2awareness about the causes of kidney disease; and
 
3    WHEREAS, IgAN is twice as likely to appear in men as women, 
4can occur at any age but most likely strikes people in their 
5twenties and thirties, and is more common in Asians and white 
6people; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Kidney disease, including IgAN, presents a 
8significant burden to the health and lives of patients and 
9their families, and it also presents great challenges for the 
10healthcare system and healthcare costs of Illinois, with 
11estimates suggesting that patients with IgAN-attributed ESRD 
12have health costs exceeding $63,000 per year; and
 
13    WHEREAS, While the federal Medicare program covers the 
14costs of dialysis for many patients with ESRD, 45% of ESRD 
15patients are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and 
16ESRD is a significant source of disability, with ESRD patients 
17employed at only one-fifth the rate of the general population; 
18and
 
19    WHEREAS, Kidney disease patients are entering a new era of 
20hope, including for rare diseases, with multiple drugs now 
21approved by the Food and Drug Administration to slow the 
22progression of CKD and multiple drugs approved to slow the 
 
 
HR0659- 3 -LRB104 20572 LAW 34055 r

1progression of IgAN specifically, including innovative 
2immunology-based therapies, and many more clinical trials are 
3underway for such products; and
 
4    WHEREAS, There is growing recognition that early 
5identification of kidney disease and rare kidney diseases, 
6including through broader screening of patients with low-cost 
7serum creatine blood tests and urine albuminuria creatine 
8ratio tests, can slow the progression of kidney disease and 
9prevent or delay ESRD, including in patients with 
10immune-mediated kidney diseases; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Designating an IgAN Awareness Day not only 
12increases awareness of kidney disease and glomerular diseases 
13but also supports efforts to improve policies that may 
14increase access to screening, diagnosis, and treatment for 
15kidney disease and to provide hope and inspiration to 
16patients, caregivers, and advocates working tirelessly to 
17advance awareness and better care for kidney disease; 
18therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
20HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
21we declare May 14, 2026 as IgAN Awareness Day in the State of 
22Illinois to increase awareness among patients, providers, and 
23policymakers of kidney disease and glomerular diseases, and 
 
 
HR0659- 4 -LRB104 20572 LAW 34055 r

1IgA nephropathy (IgAN) in particular.