February 2026 CKD Insider Newsletter

3 days ago
6 min read

Updated: 19 hours ago

Welcome to the Chronic Kidney Disease Insider Newsletter. If you are living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis, have had a kidney transplant or are helping care for someone who is, this newsletter was created for you! The CKD Insider Newsletter provides actionable information for you and your family to help you manage your health in consultation with your doctor.

In this month’s CKD Insider:

Latest News from Kidney Organizations (Incl. Pediatric Support Resources)
Your Fun Tip of the Day
Medicare Advantage open enrollment - what you need to know
Future Innovations for Kidney Transplant Recipients

Latest News from Kidney Organizations

March is the National Kidney Month

This year’s focus is on taking charge of your health and the many factors that go into managing your kidney disease. The National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK) is sharing healthy lifestyle habits to take charge of your kidney health. Learn more here.

NKF Spring Kidney Walk Events

Spring is right around the corner, which means the National Kidney Foundation's largest fundraising event, The Kidney Walk is back in season. This event is great opportunity to meet other people with shared experiences and help raise money for NKF activities. The funds raised support lifesaving research, strengthen advocacy efforts, and expand access to transplantation for patients and families.

March and April walks are in Florida and Louisiana.

Find a complete list of upcoming dates and locations and register for a walk here.

Pediatric kidney disease support groups and resources

If you have a child who has kidney disease and you are looking to learn and get support check out the groups below to find the support you need.

American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP): Pediatric Kidney Pals
Renal Support Network (RSN): Resources for Kids and Parents: videos, books, and guides
American Society of Transplantation Pediatric Kidney Transplantation: A Guide for Patients and Families
Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD): Educational Resources for Patients & Families
National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Helping your child thrive with kidney disease
Nemours KidsHealth Website When Your Child Has a Chronic Kidney Disease
What is Dialysis?
United Network for Organ Sharing
What Every Kid Needs to Know (PDF/Children’s Book on organ transplant)
U.S. Social Security Administration: Benefits for Children with Disabilities

Your Fun Tip of the Day

Spring Forward Gently

This month, we move our clocks ahead an hour, and lose an hour of sleep, and sometimes it can feel like we’ve lost a lot more than that. A time change can quietly disrupt your sleep, your routine, your mood, and your focus. And if you’re grieving, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a health change, or a season of life, even small disruptions can feel heavier. The good news? Routine is grounding. Sleep is healing. And small adjustments can make a real difference.

6 Gentle Reset Tips for Sleep + Mental Wellness

1. Keep your rhythm steady. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day — even on weekends. Predictability helps calm the nervous system.

2. Dim the lights early. An hour before bed, lower the lights and don't look at your phone or TV screens. Keep your phone far from your bed if you can. This signals safety and rest to your brain.

Using an alarm clock and not in your phone, will help you not grab for your phone in the morning.

3. Create a wind-down ritual.A warm shower, soft music, journaling, prayer, or reading are good night time rituals, and repetition creates comfort, especially during grief.

4. Minimize caffeine + alcohol.They can quietly worsen sleep and anxiety, especially during stressful seasons.

5. If you can’t sleep, don’t fight it.After 20–25 minutes, get up and do something quiet and calming until you feel sleepy again.

6. Let morning light in.Natural light first thing in the morning helps reset your internal clock and can gently boost mood. Natural light is the best way to start your day, if you can step outside for a few minutes that is the best.

Tips if your grieving or navigating a major change in your life in addition to getting good sleep:

Have a routine, get creative and think about what you know for sure (about yourself or humanity for example)
When your ready, repeat the phrase: "I am willing to heal" until you believe it
Give yourself permission to outgrow yourself: Shift from surviving to thriving
- What would it look like for you to thrive professionally, romantically, spiritually
- Pull wisdom out of your wounds, use what you have learned to help others or yourself
- Slow down, take time to claim your peace, get intentional about taking a pause, don't keep rushing trhough life and chasing things tht don't fulfill or complete you - you are already enough just as you are.

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment until March 31st

People with Medicare Advantage (MA) can switch to another MA plan from January 1^st to March 31^st each year, with their new plan starting the first day of the next month. Because MA plans can change yearly, including premiums, networks, drug coverage, and costs, it’s important to review your plan. During this same period, you can also switch from an MA plan to Original Medicare with Part D, but you may not qualify for a Medigap plan if you’ve been in an MA plan for over a year. You can also enroll or switch plans during the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct 15–Dec 7) and Special Enrollment Periods triggered by life events.

Types of Medicare Advantage Plans

HMOs: Must use in-network providers except in emergencies or out-of-area dialysis.
PPOs: Cover both in‑ and out-of-network providers (higher cost for out-of-network).
Special Needs Plans (SNPs): Including ESRD-focused plans; limited availability.
Medicare Savings Accounts: High‑deductible plans paired with a medical savings account.
Private Fee‑for‑Service (PFFS): Can see any provider accepting Medicare; no referrals required, but PFFS determines costs

Available Guidance

Read more from HomeDialysisCentral with side-by-side comparisons highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of MA plans for your needs.
State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) offer free, unbiased counseling to help people compare and understand their Medicare options.
Insurance brokers may only sell certain plans and have financial incentives, so get assistance from SHIP, Medicare.gov , or another independent source.

Future Innovations

New monthly treatment may replace daily pills after transplantation

What it is: A new study at the University of California, San Francisco, suggests that kidney transplant patients may one day replace their daily anti‑rejection pills with a once‑a‑month infusion. The treatment uses infusions of two medications (belatacept and dazodalibep) that help prevent the immune system from attacking the transplanted kidney, but without some of the side effects of standard immunosuppressants.

Why it’s important: This is important because current daily immunosuppressants can harm kidney function over time and cause problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, weight gain, and other side effects that make the medications hard to tolerate. In the small study, patients who switched to the monthly infusions showed improved kidney function, and none experienced the type of antibody‑related rejection that is a major cause of transplant failure.

Larger studies are needed, but if successful, this approach could mean fewer side effects, better long‑term kidney health, and easier treatment routines for transplant recipients.

Team Behind “Universal Kidney” Joins NATO DIANA 2026 to Speed Development

What it is: Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) successfully converted a donor kidney from blood type A to universal type O and safely transplanted it into a recipient with a different blood type. Those UBC researchers have now formed a company, Avivo, to further develop this technology. Avivo has now been selected for the NATO DIANA 2026 Challenge Program, which will help accelerate the work needed to bring this innovation to patients.

Why it’s important: Blood‑type mismatch is one of the biggest barriers to kidney transplantation, and many donated kidneys go unused because they aren’t compatible. Since type O organs can be matched with anyone, converting any donor kidney to type O could dramatically increase the number of usable organs and help more patients receive transplants sooner. Support from NATO DIANA will move this life-saving innovation forward, to shorten the time to clinical trials and medical review.