Proposition 29 – Require Medical Oversight of Dialysis Clinics

80,000 people in California use dialysis to treat kidney conditions at 650 clinics across the state. However, just two corporations operate most of those clinics, and they are making massive profits while understaffing these vital medical centers and creating unecessary risk for patients. This is the third time that healthcare workers have placed this ballot initiatve in front of voters. Both previous efforts lost after dialysis companies spent millions to defeat it. To ensure that dialysis patients have proper and safe supervision at clinics, Prop 29 would require a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant to be onsite while operating. This time, an additional transparency measure would also force clinics to disclose if a doctor has more than a 5% ownership stake in the clinic, which is a positive development. Kidney disease disproportionately impacts poor folks and people of color, and greedy corporations need to do their part to ensure workers’ protections and patient safety. Vote yes on Proposition 30.