Medicare, a federal program, pays for dialysis for over 80% of dialysis treatments. However, many issues concerning dialysis patients are actually handled at the state level.

Individual states have to provide certain basic services under Medicaid, but they also have flexibility in how they structure their plans and set their reimbursement rates. In addition, some states have the authority to determine the need and location for additional dialysis facilities (this is often referred to as certificate of need). Because dialysis patients’ care can be affected by state officials as well as federal officials, DPC members are becoming more active on state issues—ensuring the patients’ voice is heard locally as well as nationally.

Iowa Dialysis Patient Resources

#12 Heartland Kidney Network
7306 NW Tiffany Springs Pky. Suite 230
Kansas City, MO  64152
1-800-444-9965

Iowa Medicaid Enterprise
1-800-338-8366

• Adult Programs: Provides health insurance for low-income adults and families, and people with disabilities. 
• Programs for Children: Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (Hawk-i) Provide low cost (or if eligible, free) health insurance coverage for uninsured children of working families.
• Medication Programs: Iowa Medication Voucher Program Assist low income Iowans with the purchase of eligible prescription drugs using a voucher system; patient copay is $3.
• Additional Programs: Health Insurance Premium Payment Program (HIPP) Health insurance premium payment program that helps people get insurance or keep insurance they already have by paying for the premiums.  Hawk -I health care coverage for uninsured children of working families. No family pays more than $20 a month. Some families even pay nothing at all.