Hannah Bracamonte, Author at Dialysis Patient Citizens

Act Now! Protect the Medicare ESRD Program!

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:56+00:00October 2nd, 2013|Categories: Uncategorized|

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just released a regulation that proposes to reduce Medicare funding for dialysis treatments by 9.4%. The American Taxpayers Relief Act (the fiscal cliff deal) mandated CMS to adjust the price it pays for dialysis to reflect the recent change in usage of certain anemia management drugs. However, no one in the kidney community expected CMS to propose such a dramatic cut. These cuts are dangerous and a serious threat to patient access to quality care. Facilities will likely have to reduce staff hours for important staff such as social workers and in so [...]

CMMI Demonstration Projects

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00September 30th, 2013|Categories: Other Links, Treatment Options|

DPC Comments on the Proposed 9.4 Percent Cut to the Medicare ESRD Program

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00August 30th, 2013|Categories: Comment Letter, Dialysis Funding|

Stop the Cuts to Dialysis Treatment Reimbursement
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Stop the Cuts to Dialysis Treatment Reimbursement

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00July 23rd, 2013|Categories: Dialysis Funding|

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency responsible for Medicare, just released a regulation that proposes to reduce Medicare funding for dialysis treatments by 9.4%. Please take a few moments to express your outrage to your Members of Congress. Otherwise, they will assume that the cuts are not harmful. If you would like to express your concern to your members of Congress electronically, simply follow the links in the flyer. If you would like to send a physical letter to your members of Congress contact DPC at (866)-877-4242 to receive our sample letter and your legislators' contact information. Ask your [...]

Medicare Coverage of Kidney Dialysis & Kidney Transplant Services

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00July 19th, 2013|Categories: Dialysis Funding, Other Links|

CMS Proposes Devastating Cuts to Dialysis Payments
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CMS Proposes Devastating Cuts to Dialysis Payments

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00July 19th, 2013|Categories: Article, Dialysis Funding, Take Action|

URGENT: Protect your dialysis care! Urge your Members of Congress to prevent a kidney care crisis! The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just released a regulation that proposes to reduce Medicare funding for dialysis treatments by 9.4%. The American Taxpayers Relief Act (the fiscal cliff deal) mandated CMS to adjust the price it pays for dialysis to reflect the recent change in usage of certain anemia management drugs. However, no one in the kidney community expected CMS to propose such a dramatic and potentially devastating cut. Please take a few moments to express your outrage to your Members of [...]

California Medicaid Coverage for Nutritional Supplements Restored
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California Medicaid Coverage for Nutritional Supplements Restored

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00July 19th, 2013|Categories: Article, Improve Access to Care, State Advocacy|

The recently-signed 2013-2014 California budget included a full restoration of Medi-Cal coverage for nutritional supplements for dialysis patients. This change will take effect May 1, 2014. Dialysis patients require access to quality care including physician visits, prescription medication, dialysis treatments and a proper nutritional regimen in order to maintain their health and avoid hospitalization. DPC is pleased to see this coverage restored for California's 53,000 dialysis patients.

DPC Welcomes New Government Affairs Director

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00July 19th, 2013|Categories: Article, Staff|

Join us in welcoming our new Government Affairs Director Jackson Williams. Hailing originally from Chicago, Jackson brings with him an impressive list of advanced degrees including: a Bachelor's degree in political science, a Juris Doctor, a Master's of Public Administration along with Ph.D. coursework in public policy analysis. Jackson has taught law and health politics at several colleges and universities. He couples his impressive educational background with extensive real world professional experience. Jackson actually just left the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation in order to help us further elevate the kidney patient voice. Previously he served as a Senior [...]

OPTN/UNOS Approves New Deceased Donor Kidney Allocation Policy
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OPTN/UNOS Approves New Deceased Donor Kidney Allocation Policy

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00July 19th, 2013|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article|

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) board approved a new kidney allocation policy that will substantially change the way deceased donor kidneys are distributed. Many components of the policy will benefit dialysis patients greatly. For example, measuring wait times from the initiation of dialysis will improve access to transplants for those patients who do not receive crucial kidney transplant education. The prior system measured wait times from when the patient signed up for a transplant. The new system will help those who are on dialysis longer get transplants sooner. DPC also supports improving [...]