New CO Kidney Bill Signed Into Law
Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently signed House Bill 26-1019, the Kidney Screening Mandatory Preventive Coverage Act, into law. This important legislation adds kidney function screening services as mandated preventive health-care services for which insurance policies in the state must provide total-cost coverage, without cost sharing or co-payments. Coverage for kidney function screening services will be implemented for all large employer health benefit policies issued or renewed in Colorado on or after January 1, 2027, and coverage will be implemented for all individual and small group health benefit plans issued or renewed in the state on or after January 1, 2028. By requiring qualifying health plans to cover [...]
DPC Gets The Word Out at Detroit Zoo Event
On May 17, DPC participated in the National Kidney Foundation Michigan Kidney Walk at the Detroit Zoo. DPC has been working to advance legislation in the state that would expand Medigap access to dialysis patients under 65 years of age. DPC Board President Quiana Bishop and Policy Committee Chair Alethea Walls – both Michigan residents -- recognized this as a great opportunity to get the word out about DPC and recruit additional advocates in support of our advocacy efforts, as NKF Michigan estimated more than 3,000 registered walkers for the event. Michigan Patient Ambassador Gwendolyn Martinez and DPC Eastern Region [...]
DPC Statement on Medicaid
May 18, 2026 Medicaid is not just a line item in a budget, it is a foundational pillar of health, dignity, and economic security for millions of Americans. It is a lifeline for our most vulnerable neighbors, including children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and working families who deserve access to quality, affordable healthcare. Any attempt to cut, cap, or eliminate Medicaid funding is a direct threat to the well-being of our communities. Slashing this vital program doesn't reduce the need for healthcare; it simply shifts the burden. It forces families into devastating medical debt, strains local state budgets, and threatens the [...]
At Last, A Shorter Patient Experience Survey Comes Out This Spring!
By Alethea Walls, DPC Board of Directors Medicare’s In-Center Hemodialysis CAHPS (ICH CAHPS) Survey is one of the most meaningful tools patients have to share their experiences and influence improvements in dialysis care. We’re pleased to report that beginning with the next survey round, the questionnaire has been shortened to 39 questions, reducing the length of the old survey by 23 questions. For years, DPC has pointed out to Medicare officials the burden to dialysis patients of this survey. When Medicare surveys health plan enrollees or hospital patients about their satisfaction, they are able to use small samples of large populations. [...]
Federal Court Strikes Down Attempt to Abolish Charitable Premium Assistance for Dialysis Patients
Several years ago, at the behest of the SEIU labor union, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill 290 (AB 290), a bill intended to abolish charitable premium assistance for dialysis patients. In an April 7, 2026, decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit struck down major provisions of AB 290. The court ruled that the law violated the First Amendment rights of dialysis providers and the American Kidney Fund (AKF), a nonprofit charity. The Ninth Circuit found that AB 290's primary provisions unconstitutionally burdened the right of expressive association. The court struck down the provision that capped reimbursement [...]
Improving Kidney Health Hearing
Last week, The Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on “Improving Kidney Health Through Better Prevention and Innovative Treatment”. Witnesses included Ashli Littleton, a 36-year-old Medicare beneficiary with ESRD; Suzanne Watnick, MD FASN, a nephrologist and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology at the University of Washington; Robert Taylor, MD, a nephrologist and Chief Medical Officer of Dialysis Clinic, Inc.; and John Butler, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akebia since 2013. During the hearing, the witnesses and Members of Congress highlighted many of the struggles ESRD patients face and the need for more innovation [...]
Support S.1552/H.R. 4583 – The Living Donor Protection Act
This week, The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) will be marking up S. 1552 – The Living Donor Protection Act introduced by Senators Tom Cotton (R‑AR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D‑NY). This bill, and its’ House companion bill H.R. 4583, provides essential protections for living kidney donors, including job security, protection from insurance discrimination, and the financial burdens associated with transplantation. Specifically, The Living Donor Protection Act would: Prohibit life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying or limiting coverage and from charging higher premiums for living organ donors. Amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to specifically include [...]