DELAWARE - Organ donors in Delaware are now prohibited from receiving discrimination by insurance companies based on an individual's status as a living organ or tissue donor.
Senate Bill 218 known as the Living Donor Protection Act passed unanimously.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Ernie Lopez who says this all started when one Delaware couple spoke up and shared their story on discrimination they faced.
"If you can donate, donate," said Charles Harvey, a Delawarean who received a Kidney transplant from his wife Pat Harvey.
Pat Harvey remembers when her husband was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease in 2014.
Donating her kidney to her husband was something she knew she had to do.
"It's a wonderful thing to do," said Pat Harvey as she and her husband shared a smile.
But what she didn't expect was the discrimination that came with it from insurance companies.
"They said if you donated a kidney that you were at risk, and weren't in good health, and that's actually the opposite. Because you are evaluated you are considered to be in good health or better than the average population," explained Mrs. Harvey.
She's thankful that on Thursday the new law went into effect, protecting her and the many other organ donors in the First State.
There are over 120,000 people across the U.S. waiting for an organ transplant.
The majority of those are for a kidney. Organ donors say they hope this bill will bring awareness and allow more people to make a lifesaving donation.
Senator Ernie Lopez sponsored this bill, after receiving a phone call about the issue from the Harvey's.
Governor Carney says the bill will go a long way for the many Delawareans in need.
"At the same time a dialysis that's required for somebody who has a failing kidney is very very expensive and that means higher health care costs for all of us. In that respect you're getting an opportunity to lower healthcare costs, help a loved one, and do something special for another person," said Delaware governor John Carney.
Delaware is one of more than 20 states with similar laws.