CNN -- A single gene, called MYH9, may be responsible for many cases of kidney disease among African-Americans, researchers say.
Kidney Failure

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced important additions to the Dialysis Facility Compare consumer Web site that will give consumers even better insight into the quality of care provided by their local dialysis patient facilities.
Medicare/Medicaid Issues

New Medicare Policy May Pose Risks
A change in Medicare reimbursement policy could make it more difficult for black Americans with kidney disease to access dialysis services.
Medicare Policy

Dialysis Patients Take the Most Pills
SAN FRANCISCO, May 7 -- At an average of 19 pills a day, dialysis patients may have the highest pill burden seen in any chronic disease.
Dialysis News

Dialysis Patient Citizens Congratulates Its Patient Ambassadors for Successful Outreach Activities During National Kidney Month
WASHINGTON, DC (April 1, 2009) In recognizing March as National Kidney Month a time dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and encouraging those at risk to learn more about how it can be prevented and treated Dialysis Patient Citizens’ (DPC’s) Patient Ambassadors led a variety of community-based outreach efforts designed to educate their communities about this growing epidemic.
National Kidney Month

Baxter Recalls Colleague Single and Triple Channel Volumetric Infusion Pumps
FDA notified healthcare professionals of a Class 1 Recall of model numbers Mono 2M8151 and 2M8153, CX 2M8161 and 2M8163, and CXE 2M9161and 2M9163. These products were manufactured and distributed from February, 1997 through December, 2008. The company identified software and battery usage failures that result in a delay in or interruption of infusion that may cause serious injury and/or death. Baxter sent a letter to all of its customers, which included advice and instructions to institutions using the infusion pumps.
FDA Notice
Baxter Press Release

Social Security Update
The Social Security Administration has developed a leaflet describing the one-time payment of $250 which will go to Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries. This payment is authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The leaflet describes the timing of the payment, who is eligible for the payment, how payments will be made, impact on SSI eligibility, and what to do if the payment does not arrive. Affiliates of UCP and chapters of The Arc are urged to distribute this information to individuals and families whom they serve.
Social Security Information

Patient Voices: Kidney Disease
Whether caused by diabetes, chronic hypertension, a genetic factor or a rare disease, kidney disease, which can lead to renal failure, can have a huge impact on one's life. Here, six men and women discuss the impact this disease has had on their life.
New York Times Health Guide

DPC Mourns Death of Dr. Willem J. Kolff
February 13, 2009 - The inventor of the modern kidney dialysis machine had died. DPC expresses its sincere gratitude for the extraordinary contributions his work has made in advancing kidney care and patient outcomes.
Dr. Willem J. Kolff

Blood Pressure Test Reveals Heart Disease Risk in CKD Patients
Renal Business Today, 1/28/09 -- Screening could lead to prevention of serious cardiovascular complications.

Higher Altitude Improves Kidney Dialysis, Life Span
InjuryBoard.com, 2/4/09 -- Dialysis patients who live above sea level may do better than their lowland counterparts.

Statesville, NC 2/5/09 -- Advocacy Letter

A Case for Nutritional Supplements
Renal and Urology News, February 2009 -- Nutritional supplements may benefit dialysis patients whose dietary intake is not sufficient to meet nutrient needs.

Mississippi House Move Helps Dialysis Patients
JACKSON, MS 1/21/09 -- Mississippi House members overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday that would spend $1.1 million of the state's reserves so Mississippi Medicaid patients without transportation could get rides to and from their dialysis appointments.
Legislation Helps Dialysis Patients

DPC Makes Changes and Welcomes New Member to Board of Directors
Dialysis Patient Citizens announced this month the election of new officers on the Board of Directors and announced the addition of one new board member—Charles Leggett of Colorado Springs, CO. Leggett comes to the board with a wealth of experience in the kidney environment where he has worked to understand the issues of importance to dialysis patients and the difficulties patients sometimes face.
DPC Board

Optimal Dialysis Treatment Differs Among Kidney Disease Patients
A recent study finds that age, health and timing should be considered when choosing hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.
Customized Kidney Care

Study Concludes Managing Anemia is Important to CKD Patients’ Quality of Life
The use of erythropoietic-stimulating agents (ESAs) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains controversial. In fact, recent findings by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have suggested that hemoglobin (Hb) targets over 12 g/dL in patients with CKD offer no benefit and may actually increase morbidity and mortality. However, many nephrologists feel that the quality of life (QOL) of patients with CKD is improved with ESA treatment, but few controlled studies demonstrate an improvement in health-related QOL measures. Therefore, a recent study examined the relationship between health-related QOL and anemia severity in a cohort of CKD patients. The CKD Renalsoft Informatics Observational Study (CRIOS) is a prospective study designed to collect data on clinical care practices for renal replacement therapy and health-related QOL assessments.
Read more

Medicare Publishes New Information on Quality of Care at Dialysis Facilities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced important additions to the Dialysis Facility Compare consumer web site that will give consumers even better insight into the quality of care provided by their local dialysis patient facilities.

The improvements include two new quality measures that demonstrate how well dialysis patients are treated for anemia (low red blood cell count) as well as updated information that will help patients better understand survival rates by facility.To view the entire press release, click here.

Overnight Dialysis Saves Lives
Dialysis for eight hours a night, three times a week, reduced the risk of death for kidney patients by nearly 80 percent, compared to conventional, four-hour dialysis three times a week.
Read More

30% increase in CKD:
Annual report targets chronic kidney disease in the U.S.
A 30 percent increase in chronic kidney disease over the past decade has prompted the U.S. Renal Data System (USRDS) to issue for the first time a separate report documenting the magnitude of the disease, which affects an estimated 27 million Americans and accounts for more than 24 percent of Medicare costs.
Click here to read the entire article.

Costs of home hemodialysis offset by better health, fewer hospitalizations
NephroOnlline, 10/1/08 - Daily hemodialysis administered in patients’ homes is associated with better health outcomes compared with peritoneal dialysis, according to an article in the October issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation.

As a result, the extra cost of providing in-home hemodialysis is balanced out by lower expenditures for medications and hospital admissions, physicians at a health maintenance organization in southern California report.
Click here to read the entire article

How the Next President Could Affect Dialysis
On Jan. 20, 2009, The 44th President of the United States will inherit a country at a crossroads. The confluence of the Iraq War, sluggish unemployment and the housing crisis is expected to continue into next year, and nearly 46 million people still don’t have health insurance.

Patients and clinics alike are at the mercy of government decisions. And with the next president certain to push for major healthcare reform, it’s vital to push through the tall grass of partisan rhetoric to understand how the next four years could alter the healthcare landscape.
Click here to read more.

New DPC Board Members
DPC announces the addition of three new board members—Dr. Gene Copello, of Washington, D.C.; Erich Ditschman, of East Lansing, MI; and Nancy Scott, of New Castle, DE.
Click here to read more

Indiana Testimony

A critical element of quality of life for patients is access to their dialysis treatment. Continuity of care and access to dialysis facilities that are close to home are both important to a patient's quality of life and their health. Click here to read a letter from DPC to the Indiana Interim Study Committee on Dialysis Coverage.

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.

Thank Congress for their support of quality kidney care by sending them an email. Even if your Members did not vote in favor of MIPPA, they still took the time to listen to you share your personal story and ideas on how to improve the Medicare program for kidney patients. Click here to send a thank-you email to your Members.

Medicaid Proposal to Eliminate Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
Currently, Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation provides approximately 36 million Americans with access to vital healthcare. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are proposing a rule, file code CMS-2232-P, that would allow states’ Medicaid programs the option to eliminate non-emergency medical transportation as a benefit. This proposed rule could impact dialysis patients access to life saving outpatient dialysis services. Click here to see the letter sent by DPC's Executive Director on behalf of DPC's members and all dialysis patients.