Dialysis Patient Advocacy Archives

Millions of Dollars Could be Lost for Dialysis Care
Medicare needs Congress’s help. CMS may have underestimated how many dialysis clinics will choose to fully use the new bundled payment in 2011. As a result, millions of dollars needed to treat patients on dialysis could be lost. On September 23, 2010 DPC Patient Ambassadors discussed the issue with their Members of Congress and provided them with the following letter.
>DPC Letter to Congress

On February 2, 2011 American Kidney Fund, Dialysis Patient Citizens, National Kidney Foundation and Renal Support Network sent a joint letter to Congress requesting a fix to the calculation of the transition adjuster that will be applied to the new bundled payment system in 2011.
>Patient Letter on Transition

Dialysis Patients Advocacy Efforts Succeed with the Passage of 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.
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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.
>Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage

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.
>Read more about health care changes occuring in 2010 and beyond

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.

VA Issues Final Rule on Dialysis Reimbursement
On December 16, 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a final rule that aligns payment to non-VA health care providers, including dialysis clinics, with Medicare rates. When the VA proposed these changes last year, DPC issued comments and spoke with the department about our concerns that the rule could lead to reduced access to dialysis for veterans. In its final rule, the VA stated it did not believe veterans would face reduced access to care due to its reimbursement policy. The department also stated current contracts with dialysis providers will be honored and that efforts would be taken to ensure veterans do not lose access to dialysis services moving forward.
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DPC joins with the disability community
Asks Congress to ensure benefits for the elderly and disabled are secured.

Read our letters::