Dialysis Patient Advocacy

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DPC Supports the Equal Access to Medicare Options Act of 2009
Senator Kerry introduced legislation that would allow dialysis patients under 65 the choice to purchase Medigap plans or participate in Medicare Advantage plans.
Read DPC’s letter thanking Senator Kerry for introducing this legislation.
>Take Action NOW!

DPC provides guidance to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on initiative to Improve the Quality of Life and health of Individuals Living with Multiple Chronic Conditions
DPC commends HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for working to improve the quality of life and the health of individuals who are living with chronic diseases. DPC submitted a letter to the Secretary thanking her for the agency’s attention to this issue and provided our input on the workgroup’s initial plan.

Help Protect Veteran Access to Quality Health Care
If you are you a current dialysis patient or the family member of a patient and have been referred by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to a non-VA outpatient dialysis clinic for your treatments, Congress needs to hear from you. The VA is considering reducing reimbursement for all non-VA facility inpatient and outpatient care to include dialysis clinics. The VA wants to pay dialysis providers at the same level that Medicare does. However, Medicare reimbursement is lower than what it costs to provide dialysis treatments. A reduction in VA payments could impact many Veterans’ access to inpatient and outpatient services, including their dialysis care. There is a better solution.
>Learn More

Dialysis Patients and Health Reform
Following a 14-month long process, the U.S. Congress has passed health care reform legislation. The final steps of the process took place in March, which included the House of Representatives’ vote to approve the bill that was passed in the Senate late last year, the Senate’s vote to pass a House-drafted companion reconciliation bill – which included a series of “fixes,” or amendments, to the larger Senate legislation – and President Obama’s signing of the health care legislation and the packages of fixes into law.

The legislation is estimated to cost $940 billion in the first 10 years and reduce the federal deficit by $143 billion during that same timeframe. It is expected to extend health insurance coverage to an additional 32 million Americans by 2019. There are also a number of bill highlights related to kidney care.

Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage
Earlier this year, Dialysis Patient Citizens’ (DPC) membership declared their top advocacy priority was obtaining lifetime immunosuppressive drug coverage for kidney transplant patients. As a result, DPC, along with numerous other organizations, is working to ensure that Congress includes the Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2009 (HR 1458/S 565) in their final health care package.

Currently Medicare ESRD beneficiaries who receive a kidney transplant are only provided immunosuppressive drugs under Medicare Part B for the first thirty-six months. Following thirty-six months, patients are responsible for paying for the immunosuppressive drugs on their own—often difficult for patients. HR 1458/S 565 would ensure that kidney transplant patients continue to receive the needed immunosuppressive drugs for the lifetime of their kidney. This coverage could help reduce the number of patients losing their kidney transplants and returning to dialysis.

You can help! We are currently working to increase the number of co-sponsors and create momentum around this issue. Please take a moment to contact your members of Congress and ask them to become a co-sponsor of Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2009 (HR 1458/S 565).

The United States Department of Health and Human Services provides plan to improve the health and quality of life for people with multiple chronic conditions. HHS has convened an agency workgroup and proposed a strategy to improve the health and quality of life for individuals with multiple chronic conditions. DPC commends HHS focus on this important issue and has provided feedback to strengthen their draft strategy and to provide comments (linked to attached comments) on ways dialysis patients are impacted by multiple chronic conditions.

Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage

DPC joins the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD)
To ensure the needs of patients with chronic kidney disease are better served and their voices heard more prominently, DPC has joined the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease. Recently, we have accompanied many other members of PFCD in signing on to letters to federal lawmakers about policies that can help Americans better prevent and manage chronic disease.

Read the PFCD letters to Congress:

DPC joins with the disability community
Asks Congress to ensure benefits for the elderly and disabled are secured.

Read our letters::

House and Senate Override Presidential Veto to Pass Medicare Bill with Landmark ESRD Reform!
July 15, 2008 both the House and Senate overrode the President’s Veto of HR 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). With this historic vote, Congress ensured that kidney patients would receive additional, needed education about Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and that there would be an updated payment system for dialysis treatments. Read More>>

What can you do to help ensure quality access to kidney care for all patients?

DPC and the kidney care community will work with the 111th Congress to ensure that the provisions passed last year are implemented and to ensure that the dialysis patients’ voice is heard on important issues facing the community. Please take a minute to email your Members of Congress and ask them to support kidney care and dialysis patients. Email Congress
Many kidney care reforms will take place at the state level of government, so it's important to start educating your state legislators about kidney disease. Email your state legislators
Learn about Public Policy issues that impact kidney care.

Thank you for letting your voice be heard!

DPC is working hard to provide a voice for all dialysis patients. Learn why it is important that your concerns be heard on capitol Hill. You can make a difference.

>	Who Represents Me?
>	Educating Your Members of Congress About Dialysis

>	Invite a Politician to Visit Your Dialysis Center