Medical Disclaimer: This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your nephrologist or healthcare team before making any decisions about your care. In an emergency, call 911.
Patient Education & Advocacy

Understanding
Your Care.

You are not just a patient — you are someone with options, rights, and the ability to live fully. This page breaks down what we do, how we protect your information, and how to use every tool available to you.

MAVTG · Built by a patient, for patients
Book a Free Consult → What We Do Labs & Rights Travel
CKD Kidney Navigator app icon Free App
Patient Tool

CKD Kidney
Navigator

Track your labs, manage fluid intake, log vitals, and connect with your dialysis care team — all in one place. Built for dialysis patients by someone who lives it every week.

  • Lab result tracking with alerts
  • Fluid & phosphorus monitoring
  • Medication reminders
  • Travel dialysis center finder
  • AI-powered coaching chat
  • Export records for travel
Launch Free App →
What We Do

How MAVTG Supports
Dialysis Patients

We were built by a patient — not a corporation. Every service exists because we needed it and it didn't exist.

Travel Planning Around Your Schedule
We coordinate your entire trip around your treatment schedule — finding dialysis centers at your destination, verifying chair availability, confirming insurance compatibility, and building an itinerary that works. You travel. We handle the medical logistics.
Dialysis Center Research
Before you book a single flight, we vet dialysis facilities at your destination — hours, protocols, language support, distance from your hotel, water quality standards, and emergency backup plans. No surprises.
Cruise Travel with Dialysis
Cruises with onboard dialysis are possible — Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and others support it through Dialysis at Sea®. We know which ships work, which ports have backup centers, and how to coordinate the full clinical handoff so you can enjoy the trip.
Patient Education & Books
Two books published — "I Missed the Signs" and "Michael's Big Kidney Journey" — written from the inside of a CKD diagnosis, not from a textbook. Plain language, real experience, and a perspective you won't find anywhere else. Available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Kidney Advocacy & Speaking
We speak for patients — at events, conferences, and community programs. If you are organizing a kidney awareness event and want a real voice from the patient community, reach out. We speak for free to patient communities.
Patient Tools — AI-Powered
Use our free AI-powered tools to check your medications for interactions and to translate your lab report into plain language. These are not medical advice — they are education tools to help you walk into your next appointment prepared.
Patient Education

Know What You're
Dealing With

Knowledge is not fear — it's power. Understanding your condition changes the entire conversation with your care team.

"The moment you understand your own labs, you stop being a passive patient and start being a participant in your own survival."

MAVTG Patient Education
Stage 5 CKD
What Is End-Stage Renal Disease?
ESRD means your kidneys are functioning at less than 15% capacity. At this stage, you need dialysis or a transplant to survive. It is not the end of life — it is a new condition of life. Millions of people live full, active lives on dialysis.
Hemodialysis
How Dialysis Works
Hemodialysis filters your blood through a machine — removing waste and excess fluid your kidneys can't. Most patients go 3 times per week, 3–4 hours per session. Your access point (fistula, graft, or catheter) determines your care plan and your travel options.
Access
Fistula vs. Catheter vs. PICC
Your vascular access affects what you can wear, how you move, and how you travel. A fistula is the gold standard — lower infection risk. Catheters are more portable. PICC lines require specific care and clothing accommodations. MAVTG's adaptive clothing line was built for all three.
Transplant
The Waitlist & What to Expect
Kidney transplant waitlists vary by region. You can be listed at multiple centers simultaneously. The average wait is 3–5 years, but living donors dramatically shorten that. Stay healthy, stay compliant, stay listed — and keep living your life while you wait.
Kt/V
Dialysis Adequacy
Kt/V measures how much dialysis you received versus how much you needed. Target is ≥1.4 for three-times-per-week HD. Below 1.2 is inadequate. Ask your team this number at every monthly review — it directly measures how well your sessions are cleaning your blood.
Phosphorus
Why It Matters
High phosphorus damages blood vessels and bones over time. Target is 3.5–5.5 mg/dL. Dialysis removes some, but diet and phosphate binders manage the rest. Watch dairy, nuts, dark colas, and processed foods. Your lab number tells the story of your last few weeks of eating.
Potassium
The Silent Danger
High potassium (hyperkalemia) can cause life-threatening heart arrhythmias with no warning symptoms. Target is 3.5–5.5 mEq/L. Bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, and salt substitutes are high-risk. Know your number before you board a plane — dialysis removes it but the wrong meal at the wrong time is a real risk.
Hemoglobin
Why You're Tired
CKD causes anemia because your kidneys no longer produce sufficient EPO — the hormone that tells your bone marrow to make red blood cells. EPO injections (Epogen, Aranesp) compensate. Target hemoglobin is 10–11.5 g/dL. Below that explains the fatigue, the brain fog, and the shortness of breath.
ESRD Patient Rights
You Choose Your Clinic
You have the right to choose your dialysis facility. Medicare regulations guarantee this. No physician or hospital can force you to use a specific center. If your current center isn't meeting your needs — hours, care quality, distance — you can transfer. MAVTG can help you research alternatives.
Medical Records
They Belong to You
Under HIPAA, your medical records are yours to request at any time. Ask your center for: your last 12 months of labs (Kt/V, phosphorus, hemoglobin), your treatment flow sheets, and your care plan. Take this with you when you travel — every dialysis center in a foreign country will ask for it.
ADA
Accommodation Rights
The Americans with Disabilities Act protects dialysis patients. Airlines must accommodate your medical needs (bulkhead seating, early boarding, bringing supplies). Hotels must provide accessible rooms. Cruise lines accommodate dialysis passengers. Know your rights before you leave home.
Grievances
How to File a Complaint
If a dialysis center violates your rights, you can file a grievance with Medicare (1-800-MEDICARE) or your state's ESRD Network. You can also contact your Dialysis Patient Organization (DPO). You do not need your doctor's permission. Your voice is protected.
Before You Go
The 8-Week Planning Window
International dialysis arrangements take time. Start 8–12 weeks before departure. You need: a letter from your nephrologist, your last 3 months of labs, your prescription for dialysate concentrations, insurance pre-authorization, and confirmed chair availability at the destination. MAVTG handles all of this coordination.
What to Pack
The Dialysis & Travel Kit
Always travel with: copy of all labs (last 90 days), nephrologist contact info, dialysis prescription details, backup catheter supplies, 3-day supply of any phosphate binders or EPO, insurance cards, and emergency dialysis center contact in your destination city. The MAVTG Treatment Pack Backpack was designed for exactly this.
On Dialysis Days
Build Your Itinerary Around Treatment
Plan lighter activities on dialysis days (you will be tired). Schedule sightseeing, excursions, and experiences on non-treatment days. Most international centers run morning and afternoon shifts — book morning if possible. Have your hotel's address in the local language to show the driver.
Insurance
Coverage Abroad
Medicare does NOT cover dialysis outside the US (except in a few territories). You need supplemental travel health insurance that specifically covers dialysis. Some plans cover up to $250/session. Verify this in writing before you leave. MAVTG can advise on what to ask your insurer.
Before You Book

Medical Travel Insurance
for Dialysis Patients

The most critical piece most patients miss. Medicare does not cover you abroad — and most standard travel insurance policies won't cover your scheduled dialysis sessions either.

Critical Warning

Virtually no standard travel insurance covers routine maintenance dialysis abroad. Insurers classify your scheduled sessions as "ongoing care" — not a medical emergency — and exclude them. At $300–$900+ per session internationally, a 7-day trip with 3 sessions costs $900–$2,700 out of pocket. Budget dialysis costs separately and treat insurance as protection for complications, hospitalization, and evacuation — not your routine sessions.

The critical question to ask every insurer: "Does this policy cover ongoing maintenance dialysis, or only emergency dialysis?"

The 4 Types of Coverage You Need

① Travel Medical Insurance
Emergency Medical Coverage
Covers emergency treatment abroad. For dialysis patients: confirm whether pre-existing conditions are covered and whether there is an explicit emergency-dialysis benefit. Routine/scheduled dialysis is typically excluded.
② Trip Cancellation / Interruption
Protect Your Investment
Reimburses non-refundable trip costs if you must cancel or cut short due to a covered medical event — including if your condition deteriorates before or during the trip. Essential for any prepaid dialysis travel arrangement.
③ Medical Evacuation Insurance
The One You Can't Skip
Covers air ambulance and repatriation if you cannot receive adequate treatment locally. Minimum $100,000 recommended. For international travel outside North America: $250,000+. Air evacuations from distant locations regularly exceed $200,000.
④ Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR)
Ultimate Flexibility
An add-on that reimburses 50–75% of trip costs if you cancel for any reason not covered under standard policies. Must be purchased within 10–21 days of your initial trip deposit. Highly recommended for dialysis patients given unpredictable health events.

Pre-Existing Conditions & The Waiver

Lookback period: Standard policies review 60–180 days of medical history for pre-existing conditions. Without a waiver, ESRD/dialysis will almost certainly be excluded.

Pre-existing condition waiver: Many comprehensive plans eliminate the lookback period entirely — treating ESRD like any other covered condition. To qualify: (a) insure 100% of prepaid trip costs, (b) purchase within 10–21 days of your first trip payment, and (c) be medically stable at time of purchase.

Best-reviewed option for serious pre-existing conditions: GeoBlue Voyager Choice/Platinum — covers pre-existing conditions at 100% on the Platinum tier; requires an existing primary health plan or Medicare Part A.

Ask Every Insurer These 5 Questions

1.Does this policy cover ongoing maintenance dialysis or only emergency dialysis?
2.What is the lookback period, and does this plan include a pre-existing condition waiver?
3.What is the medical evacuation limit — and is $250,000+ included for international travel?
4.Are dialysis-related hospitalizations (not sessions themselves) covered?
5.Does the policy require pre-authorization for dialysis treatment, and what is the process?
InsureMyTrip.com → Squaremouth.com →

Filter by "pre-existing condition waiver" on both sites. Phone agents at InsureMyTrip can advise on ESRD-specific plans. MAVTG is not affiliated with any insurer — this information is educational only. Verify all coverage details directly with your insurer before purchasing.

Privacy & Security

How We Protect
Your Information

You share sensitive health information with us when you use our tools. Here is exactly how we handle it.

✓ No Storage
We Don't Store Your Medical Text
When you paste your lab results or medication list into our Patient Tools, that text is sent directly to the AI and immediately discarded. We do not save, log, or retain any medical information you enter. Nothing is stored in our database.
✓ Encrypted Transit
All Connections Are Encrypted
Every connection to MAVTG.com uses HTTPS with HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security). Your data is encrypted in transit end-to-end. We enforce this for all pages and all API calls — no exceptions, no fallback to HTTP.
✓ No Account Required
Patient Tools Require No Login
Our Medication Check and Medical Report tools require no account, no email, and no personal information. You can use them anonymously. We never associate your tool usage with your identity.
✓ No Ads, No Tracking
We Don't Sell or Share Your Data
MAVTG does not use third-party ad networks, retargeting pixels, or behavioral tracking. We do not sell user data. We do not share it with anyone. Our business model is services and books — not data.
✓ Rate Limited
AI Tools Are Protected Against Abuse
Our AI-powered tools have built-in rate limiting to prevent abuse. If something unusual is detected, access is throttled automatically. This also protects the quality and availability of the tools for all patients who need them.
✓ Plain Language
We Tell You What We Do
This page is our data policy — written in plain language, not legal jargon. If you have a specific question about how MAVTG handles data, contact us directly. We will answer directly.
Medical Disclaimer: The information on this page and throughout MAVTG.com is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and does not replace the guidance of your nephrologist, dialysis care team, or other qualified healthcare providers. Always consult your care team before making any changes to your treatment, diet, medications, or travel plans.

Have a Question? Ask Directly.

Use our AI patient tool to get plain-language explanations of your lab results or medication list. Or contact us — a real person reads every email.

Use Patient Tools → Contact Us
Partners & Resources

Trusted Travel Resources
for Dialysis Patients

Services and programs vetted for the dialysis travel community — from finding a center abroad to protecting your trip.

Dialysis
DaVita Kidney Care
Find vacation dialysis centers worldwide through DaVita's guest services program.
Learn More →
Assistance
American Kidney Fund
Travel assistance programs and financial support for kidney patients on dialysis.
Learn More →
Equipment
Rotech Medical
Travel oxygen and medical equipment rentals for patients on the move.
Learn More →
Insurance
InsureMyTrip
Compare medical travel insurance plans that cover pre-existing conditions including dialysis.
Learn More →
Evacuation
MedJet Assist
Medical evacuation membership — hospital-to-hospital transport anywhere in the world.
Learn More →
Dialysis
Dialysis at Sea Cruises
Dedicated cruise dialysis program — sail the world while staying on your treatment schedule.
Learn More →
Dialysis
NephroPlus
International dialysis centers across Asia and the Middle East — patient-first care abroad.
Learn More →
Dialysis
Global Dialysis
The world's most comprehensive directory of dialysis centers — search before you book.
Learn More →
View All Travel Resources →
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