Minority Health & Donate Life Month

April is National Minority Health Month and Donate Life Month! Although National Kidney Month is over, it doesn’t mean that raising awareness about the concerns of kidney disease has to end.  April is also a great time to let your voice be heard and help spread information about the impacts of kidney disease on minorities and raise awareness for kidney donation.

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Health Care Reform Update

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. 

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Veteran Speaks Out

DPC Patient Ambassador and veteran Curtis Moore speaks out about the Veterans Administration proposal to reduce payment to non-VA health care providers.

In 1983, serving as a First Lieutenant in the Army overseas in Germany, Curtis Moore suddenly developed kidney failure and was medically retired from the Army.  He had hoped to make the Army his career; Moore was in excellent physical shape and had no history of diabetes or hypertension. 

“While they ran multiple tests, doctors could never figure out what caused my kidney failure,” says Retired Lieutenant Moore.

Moore has received three kidney transplants and is now back on dialysis awaiting a fourth.  Up until 2007, he received dialysis treatments three times per week at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, DC.  He decided to switch to a dialysis facility closer to his home so that he could go back to work.  Moore’s commute to WARMC took nearly an hour out of his day, and the facility did not offer a late afternoon shift that could accommodate his work schedule.   

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Anemia Treatment

On March 24, the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) met to vote on the available evidence for the use of erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs like Epogen® and Aranesp®) to manage anemia in patients who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) including those on and not on dialysis.  Numerous physicians, clinicians, and patients presented information to the panel.  During the public comment period, DPC Board Vice President Nancy Scott was able to provide comments to the panel.

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