Last week, the California Assembly voted in favor of passing Senate Bill 1156. If this bill is enacted into law, many dialysis facilities will face potential closure leaving patients to:
Senate Bill 1156 has now moved onto the desk of California Governor Jerry Brown, who has until the end of September to act on the bill.
Dialysis Patient Citizens sent its comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expressing concerns and providing feedback on its End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System and Quality Incentive Program proposed payment rule (CMS-1691-P).
Currently, dialysis patients are restricted to 30 months on private insurance coverage before having to go into Medicare. The House of Representatives recently proposed extending this length of time by three months, which is estimated to save Medicare $344 million. Access to private insurance is critical for dialysis patients, and we are very appreciative of the House’s efforts to improve that access.
Dialysis Patient Citizens is requesting your support of kidney failure patients by urging your legislator to oppose Senate Bill 1156 (Leyva). If this bill is enacted into law, many dialysis facilities will face potential closure leaving patients to:
Your support is critical in ensuring lawmakers are educated and reminded about the struggles patients with kidney disease will face if this bill is passed.
Our 2018 Annual Membership Survey is live, and it will remain open until Friday, August 10. This survey takes your input as a patient with kidney disease and helps to shape our public policy agenda and patient education priorities for the next year.
In addition to determining Dialysis Patient Citizen's priorities, we regularly communicate survey results to state and federal level policy makers, so they will better understand your needs, experiences, and preferences.
State legislators in California continue to consider legislation, which we believe would harm dialysis patients by ultimately limiting their access to their life-saving treatment.
This year World Kidney Day was also on International Women’s day. Global organizers took this as an opportunity to focus on women’s health and kidney disease. It’s only appropriate that we feature three courageous women who shared their story with media to spread awareness of kidney disease.
Kidney Month has passed yet the coverage on kidney health is continuing well into April. DPC is pleased to report the publication of several letters to the editor in response to our advocacy day in support of the Dialysis PATIENTS Act. Our advocates have been published in the states of Washington, Alabama, Kansas and New Hampshire with many more pending publication. This continued media coverage is a great step toward moving this legislation across the finish line to help countless dialysis patients across the country.
Dialysis Patient Citizens
1012 14th Street, NW, Suite #1475
Washington, DC 20005
Toll free: 1-866-877-4242
Fax: 888-423-5002
Email: dpc@dialysispatients.org
