New York, N.Y. – August 3, 2026 – The Kidney Transplant Collaborative (KTC) highlighted remarks delivered by Max Rose, former Congressman & Senior Adviser, KTC, at the American Association of Kidney Patients’ (AAKP) 9th Annual Public Policy Summit, where national patient advocates, clinicians, policymakers, and healthcare leaders gathered to discuss solutions to improve kidney care and expand access to transplantation.

Speaking during the Summit’s opening session, Congressman Rose discussed the urgent need to increase kidney transplants and outlined KTC’s focus on practical policy solutions that could remove unnecessary barriers to living kidney donation.

Earlier this year, KTC released the first report documenting a troubling reversal in national transplant trends, showing that 2025 marked the first year this century in which deceased kidney donations and deceased donor kidney transplants declined independently, with early data suggesting the trend is continuing into 2026.

During his remarks, Congressman Rose emphasized that increasing transplants will require policymakers to pursue practical solutions across the kidney care system, including administrative actions that do not depend on Congress passing new legislation.

KTC continues to work with policymakers, transplant leaders, and patient advocates to advance practical reforms that increase kidney transplantation, reduce unnecessary barriers for donors and recipients, and improve outcomes while lowering long-term Medicare costs.

View the full recording and remarks at the AAKP Public Policy Summit HERE.

About the Kidney Transplant Collaborative

The Kidney Transplant Collaborative (KTC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing kidney transplants and removing financial and logistical barriers for kidney patients, donors, and their families. Unlike other initiatives, KTC is specifically focused on increasing the number of living donor transplants in the United States through policy advocacy, education, and community organizing.

For more details, visit www.kidneytransplantcollaborative.com.