Hannah Bracamonte, Author at Dialysis Patient Citizens

Help DPC Protect Dialysis Access in Oregon, Illinois and California
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Help DPC Protect Dialysis Access in Oregon, Illinois and California

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:35+00:00April 18th, 2019|Categories: State Advocacy, Uncategorized|

Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) continues to work hard protecting dialysis patients by opposing three bills that would threaten access to quality care if passed. More than 468,000 Americans rely on dialysis treatments to stay alive. Unfortunately, this access to treatment is being threatened with three bills, which may disrupt the provider network dialysis patients rely on and lower the quality of care they depend on. These bills are: Senate Bill 900 – Oregon Senate Bill 650 – Illinois Assembly Bill 290 – California Specifically, we are concerned that these bills will cut reimbursement rates private insurance companies pay to cover dialysis care. [...]

How the Government is Combatting Kidney Disease in the United States
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How the Government is Combatting Kidney Disease in the United States

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:35+00:00April 10th, 2019|Categories: Uncategorized|

The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Alex M. Azar II, discussed the future of kidney health in a speech last month. Azar has a personal connection with the disease as his father had end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and had to go to dialysis multiple times a week. His father was no longer working full-time when the treatment began, making the condition easier to manage. Azar's father later underwent peritoneal dialysis, calling the treatment a "revolutionary change" in his father's lifestyle, and ultimately received a transplant from a living donor. Azar recognizes that his father's experience with ESRD was [...]

Take Action to Protect Dialysis Access in Oregon
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Take Action to Protect Dialysis Access in Oregon

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:35+00:00April 2nd, 2019|Categories: Charitable Premium Assistance, Dialysis Funding, Improve Access to Care, State Advocacy|

Receiving dialysis treatment three times a week is critical for the survival of the 6,000 patients in Oregon with End-Stage Renal Disease, or kidney failure. Unfortunately, this access to treatment is being threatened with Senate Bill 900, which may disrupt the provider network dialysis patients rely on and lower the quality of care they depend on. Specifically, we are concerned that SB 900 will cut reimbursement rates private insurance companies pay to cover dialysis care. These reimbursement rates are crucial to dialysis facilities because Medicare does not cover the full cost of care for treating dialysis patients. Reduced payments may [...]

Action Alert – DPC Supports Expanding Access to Organ Transplants in California
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Action Alert – DPC Supports Expanding Access to Organ Transplants in California

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:35+00:00March 27th, 2019|Categories: State Advocacy, Uncategorized|

Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) continues its efforts to improve the quality of life for dialysis patients by advocating for an assembly bill in California that would expand access to organ transplants. Danny Iniguez, Secretary of DPC's Board of Directors and a resident of California, expressed the importance of passing Assembly Bill 1223 by highlighting the positive impact on both patients and organ donors and sharing his childhood experience with kidney failure. Starting at age 12 Iniguez was on and off dialysis as a result of a bicycle accident and had to wait over 10 years to receive a kidney transplant. [...]

Kidney Community Blocks Threats to Charitable Assistance and Dialysis Funding in California
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Kidney Community Blocks Threats to Charitable Assistance and Dialysis Funding in California

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:35+00:00March 18th, 2019|Categories: Article, Charitable Premium Assistance, Dialysis Funding, State Advocacy|Tags: Proposition 8|

By Megan Hashbarger, Director of Congressional and State Relations, Dialysis Patient Citizens Dialysis Patients Citizen’s (DPC) mission is to improve dialysis citizens’ quality of life. As a result, we have played an important role in increasing patient access to: health insurance coverage, care coordination, medications and innovative therapies. While we work hard to improve public policies for patients, sometimes we are put on defense to protect our previous hard-fought victories. One of the most important tools for protecting patient choice and access to insurance coverage is the ability of charities to provide financial assistance in helping dialysis patients purchase insurance [...]

Insights from the Dialysis Patient Citizens 2018 Patient Survey: Patients’ Priorities for Quality Measures and New Innovations in ESRD Care
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Insights from the Dialysis Patient Citizens 2018 Patient Survey: Patients’ Priorities for Quality Measures and New Innovations in ESRD Care

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:35+00:00March 11th, 2019|Categories: Article, Innovation, Quality Incentive Program, Treatment Options|Tags: Medicare|

By Jackson Williams, Director of Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel, Dialysis Patient Citizens Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) thanks everyone who completed its 2018 Patient Survey. It is another way to make your voices heard. We use our patient survey to get your input on current issues and to convey your opinions to policymakers in Washington, DC. This year, our survey included questions on two recent developments in Washington: Medicare’s “Meaningful Measures” Initiative: In early 2018, Medicare officials announced plans to reduce the number of quality measures it uses to hold health care providers accountable. This meant that for dialysis care, [...]

Advocacy Day application deadline is THURSDAY

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:35+00:00February 25th, 2019|Categories: Article, Get Involved|

As a reminder, the Advocacy Day application deadline is Thursday, February 28. If you haven't already applied, please consider doing so. We are very fortunate that we are able to bring dialysis patients to Washington, D.C. each year to meet with their elected officials. This provides advocates like you with the unique opportunity to make your voice heard on behalf of dialysis patients from your state in order to improve dialysis care. This year is no exception. We will meet with Members of Congress and their staff on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 with a comprehensive training the day before. Last year [...]

2018 Midterm Election Wrap-Up
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2018 Midterm Election Wrap-Up

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:35+00:00February 22nd, 2019|Categories: Article, Care Coordination, Charitable Premium Assistance, Medigap Coverage|

By Megan Hashbarger, Director of Congressional and State Relations, Dialysis Patient Citizens This past November, America held its 2018 midterm elections. We call it a midterm election because it is held between the four-year cycle of Presidential elections and is often seen as a reflection of the country’s temperament towards the President’s agenda. This cycle saw big wins for Democrats but also some solid victories for Republicans. While Democrats picked up over 40 seats and retook the majority in the House, Republicans held on to and increased their majority in the Senate. The only thing clear now is that for [...]

Assembly Bill 290 Threatens Dialysis Quality and Access for Patients Living in California
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Assembly Bill 290 Threatens Dialysis Quality and Access for Patients Living in California

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:36+00:00February 19th, 2019|Categories: Article, Charitable Premium Assistance, Dialysis Funding, Improve Access to Care, State Advocacy|

Receiving dialysis treatment three times a week is critical to survival for the 70,000 patients in California with End-Stage Renal Disease, or kidney failure. Unfortunately, this access to treatment is being threatened with California Assembly Bill 290 (Woods), which may disrupt the provider network dialysis patients rely on and lower the quality of care they depend on. This legislation is similar to Senate Bill 1156, which was defeated by dialysis patients and vetoed by California Governor Jerry Brown last year. Specifically, we are concerned that AB 290 will cut reimbursement rates private insurance companies pay to cover dialysis care. These reimbursement rates [...]

NIH Seeks Volunteers to Help Cure Diseases and Solve Health Problems
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NIH Seeks Volunteers to Help Cure Diseases and Solve Health Problems

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:36+00:00February 13th, 2019|Categories: Article, Treatment Options|Tags: Research|

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is looking for volunteers to participate in the All of Us program, which is a research initiative that tracks the health of U.S. participants. The initiative is not centered around a specific disease or population. Instead, it is intended to accelerate research and improve a large assortment of health conditions by evaluating the impact of lifestyle, environment and biological makeup on health and disease. Participants may elect to help by filling out surveys, sharing electronic health records, getting a physical, sharing fitness tracker data, providing blood and urine samples, and more. The hope is [...]

About Hannah Bracamonte

Dialysis Patient Citizens

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