Hannah Bracamonte, Author at Dialysis Patient Citizens

DPC and the DPC Education Center Mourn the Passing of Diane Brisbane
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DPC and the DPC Education Center Mourn the Passing of Diane Brisbane

Hannah Bracamonte2025-06-09T20:33:54+00:00May 28th, 2025|Categories: Article, News|

It is with a heavy heart that Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) and the DPC Education Center learned of the passing of former Board Member, Diane Brisbane. Diane grew up in the South Jamaica section of Queens, NY and was raised in a household and community that taught family first and service to others. This is the mindset with which she pursued life. After getting her start as a nurses’ aide, she eventually advanced to EKG technician, and later to supervisor of the EKG department, and finally retired after 37 years of service. During the course of her career, she served on [...]

Medical funding
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Medical funding

Hannah Bracamonte2025-06-05T15:18:48+00:00May 26th, 2025|Categories: Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Patient Stories in the News, Promote Financial Security|

I was diagnosed with kidney failure at 34. I lacked formal education about the disease, and within a year I began losing my sight to diabetic retinopathy. I’m now legally blind and depend on others for daily tasks. It’s been a difficult journey, but I’ve grown as a person throughout it. Patients like me shouldn’t have to worry about finances. I’m lucky enough to afford dialysis, a frequent treatment that filters my blood since my kidneys can’t, since it’s covered by Medicare and charitable donations. I remember paying out of pocket for a few months at the beginning of my [...]

Texas Medigap Update – May 2025
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Texas Medigap Update – May 2025

Hannah Bracamonte2025-05-22T19:46:41+00:00May 22nd, 2025|Categories: Article, Medigap Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care, State Advocacy|

Texas House Bill 2516 was unanimously approved by the House Insurance Committee and passed off the House Floor with overwhelming bipartisan support (130-19). This legislation, which will provide affordable access to Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) to individuals who are under age 65 with ESRD, is now in the Texas Senate. HB 2516 recently passed unanimously out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and is expected to be heard on the Senate Floor shortly. Throughout the legislative process, we’ve had nearly 20 Texas legislators join author Representative Ryan Guillen to support this important bill. Many thanks to all of [...]

DPC Submits Letter to HRSA on Out-of-Sequence Organ Donation
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DPC Submits Letter to HRSA on Out-of-Sequence Organ Donation

Hannah Bracamonte2025-05-22T17:13:52+00:00May 22nd, 2025|Categories: Access to Transplant, Advance Patient Choice, Article, Protect Patient Care|

On May 21, 2025, DPC submitted a letter to Thomas J. Engels, Administrator at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), expressing concern about the growth in out-of-sequence organ transplants reported in a recent New York Times article. The article outlines a recent shift in the transplant system, where someone’s ranking on the transplant list may be ignored and instead the organ is given to a patient further down the list, usually due to easier coordination for the transplant. As a patient-led organization whose board is comprised of dialysis and kidney transplant patients, DPC is alarmed at the reported rate [...]

DPC’s Letter to Thomas J. Engels, Administrator at Health Resources and Services Administration, on Out-of-Sequence Organ Allocations
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DPC’s Letter to Thomas J. Engels, Administrator at Health Resources and Services Administration, on Out-of-Sequence Organ Allocations

Hannah Bracamonte2025-05-21T20:16:46+00:00May 21st, 2025|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Protect Patient Care|

May 21, 2025 Thomas J. Engels, Administrator Health Resources and Services Administration 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 Re: Out-of-Sequence Organ Allocations Dear Administrator Engels: Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) writes to express our concerns about the growth in out-of-sequence organ transplants reported in a recent New York Times article. DPC's membership, currently about 35,000, is restricted to kidney disease patients and their family members. DPC is a patient-led organization. Our by-laws require that the President, Vice President and at least 51% of the Board be current dialysis patients. The non-dialysis patients serving on our Board are former dialysis patients with [...]

Nevada Medigap Update – May 2025
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Nevada Medigap Update – May 2025

Hannah Bracamonte2025-05-22T17:19:44+00:00May 19th, 2025|Categories: Article, Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care, State Advocacy|

After unanimous passage in the Nevada State Senate, the Nevada Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor unanimously approved Senate Bill 292 on May 16th. Sponsored by State Senator Roberta Lange (NV-7), this important legislation will provide access to affordable Medicare Supplement Insurance, otherwise known as Medigap to the under age 65 Medicare eligible population. Currently individuals under age 65 in the state of Nevada who are eligible for Medicare as a result of End Stage Renal Disease or by disability are not able to access Medigap coverage. Nevada resident and DPC Patient Ambassador, Chuck Lizer, shared his story with the [...]

State must guarantee Medigap for dialysis
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State must guarantee Medigap for dialysis

Hannah Bracamonte2025-04-22T18:42:06+00:00April 18th, 2025|Categories: Medicare Advantage, Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Patient Stories in the News, Promote Financial Security|

I have progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD). One day, my kidneys will fail. Dialysis — a life-saving treatment that removes waste from the blood when the kidneys fail — is in my future. Right now, I am doing everything I can to slow the progression of my disease. But one thing I can’t control is whether I’ll be able to afford very expensive dialysis treatment when the time comes. I recently lost my job, which means I lost my private insurance. I bought my own private plan to keep the care I need, but that’s only a temporary fix. My [...]

Letter to the Editor: Expanding Medigap Will Save Lives
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Letter to the Editor: Expanding Medigap Will Save Lives

Hannah Bracamonte2025-04-15T19:30:23+00:00April 15th, 2025|Categories: Medicare Advantage, Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Patient Stories in the News, Promote Financial Security|

As a dialysis patient and healthcare professional, I urge California’s state legislature, especially Sen. Caroline Menjivar (CA-20) and Assemblymember Nick Schultz (CA-44), to support Senate Bill 242. This bill expands access to affordable Medigap plans for all dialysis patients, regardless of age. Kidney failure comes unexpectedly for most, as it did for me. Kidney failure requires routine dialysis treatment to stay alive while awaiting a transplant, and I spent two years on peritoneal dialysis before receiving a kidney and pancreas transplant. Without reliable healthcare coverage, my transplant wouldn’t have been possible and I would have died simply because I am [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens and the DPC Education Center Mourn the Passing of Natalie Zuniga
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Dialysis Patient Citizens and the DPC Education Center Mourn the Passing of Natalie Zuniga

Hannah Bracamonte2025-04-14T16:29:03+00:00April 14th, 2025|Categories: Article, Board Members|

It is with a heavy heart that DPC and the DPC Education Center Board, staff, and volunteers learned of the passing of our Board Vice President, Natalie Zuniga. Natalie was from San Antonio, TX, where she lived with her husband of 40 years, Eddie, and raised their daughter. Natalie worked as a corporate travel agent for over 30 years before she was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a job she loved because she got to travel and meet new people. Natalie was a dialysis patient for 10 years prior to receiving a transplant just a month ago. Though Natalie’s [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds Introduction of Bipartisan Legislation Restoring Protections for Dialysis Patients
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Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds Introduction of Bipartisan Legislation Restoring Protections for Dialysis Patients

Hannah Bracamonte2025-03-31T14:14:05+00:00March 31st, 2025|Categories: Article, News, Press Release, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 30, 2025) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), the leading advocacy organization for dialysis patients nationwide, today released the following statement applauding the introduction of the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (S. 1173/H.R. 2199) to restore access to critical health insurance coverage for patients who choose it. The bill was introduced in the Senate by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and it was introduced in the House by Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Danny Davis (D-IL), John Joyce (R-PA), and Raul Ruiz (D-CA). “On [...]

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