fbpx
FacebookXYouTubeInstagramLinkedIn

Dialysis Patient Citizens Mourns the Passing of Former Board Member Erich Ditschman

2025-01-14T17:53:48+00:00January 14th, 2025|Categories: Article|

It is with a heavy heart that DPC Board, staff, and volunteers learned of the unexpected passing of one of our former Board Members, Erich Ditschman, on January 1, 2025. Erich was originally from Nyak, New York, but later moved to Michigan where he met his wife, completed both his undergraduate and master’s degrees, and raised his family. Advocacy was always at the heart of what Erich did – first as an environmental scientist advocating for river and watershed resources, then as a patient advocate for kidney disease after receiving a diagnosis of end stage renal disease in 2001. Erich joined [...]

Read More

DPC Gives Thanks to All Our Amazing Advocates

2024-11-26T14:49:33+00:00November 26th, 2024|Categories: Article, Patient Ambassadors|

DPC would like to give thanks to our many patient advocates, family members, friends, coalition partners, legislative champions, healthcare partners, and countless supporters for your dedicated commitment and collaboration over the past 20 years. We are grateful for everything you do to help elevate the patient voice with policy makers.   Wishing you and your loved ones a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving celebration.

Read More

Native American Heritage Month

2024-11-26T14:42:59+00:00November 1st, 2024|Categories: Article, News|

Native Americans have the highest diabetes prevalence in the U.S., which is the leading cause of kidney disease; they are two times more likely to develop kidney failure compared to white Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Because people in the early stages of kidney failure often experience few or no symptoms, it’s important to get regular screenings, especially if you have a family history of diabetes or are at risk for diabetes. An early diagnosis and treatment plan can help preserve kidney function for longer and delay the need for dialysis. This November, DPC is proud [...]

Read More

Federal Officials Update Kidney Community on Baxter Hurricane Recovery

2024-10-24T12:58:01+00:00October 23rd, 2024|Categories: Article, News, Protect Patient Care|

Officials from the US Department of Health and Human Services updated kidney care leaders on the fallout from hurricane damage to Baxter’s North Caroline plant. A representative of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response said that it is working with the FDA and Baxter to mitigate shortages of fluids for dialysis patients. The government has invoked the Defense Production Act to ensure that Baxter has the materials needed to clean up their facility. Two other companies are increasing production to their full capacity to bring additional products to market. Products from Baxter’s overseas facilities are being airlifted to the US, [...]

Read More

Medicare Drug Plans Are Getting Better Next Year. Some Will Also Cost More.

2024-10-24T12:55:43+00:00October 21st, 2024|Categories: Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Medicare Advantage, News, Promote Financial Security|

By Susan Jaffe October 21, 2024 When Pam McClure learned she’d save nearly $4,000 on her prescription drugs next year, she said, “it sounded too good to be true.” She and her husband are both retired and live on a “very strict” budget in central North Dakota. By the end of this year, she will have spent almost $6,000 for her medications, including a drug to control her diabetes. McClure, 70, is one of about 3.2 million people with Medicare prescription drug insurance whose out-of-pocket medication costs will be capped at $2,000 in 2025 because of the Biden administration’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, according [...]

Read More

Private Insurance for Dialysis Care Introduced in the Senate

2024-09-26T14:10:02+00:00September 25th, 2024|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Improve Access to Care, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) recently introduced The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (S. 5018), which is the Senate companion to H.R. 6860 introduced earlier this year. If you are a dialysis patient, you may be eligible for Medicare, but you also have the right to keep your private employer-sponsored health insurance for up to 30 months after being diagnosed with kidney failure. However, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision could limit your access to private coverage by allowing health plans to cut dialysis benefits from their networks and impose stricter rules. Along [...]

Read More

First class of Community Health Workers complete Chronic Kidney Disease training program

2024-09-26T14:10:05+00:00September 2nd, 2024|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Promote Financial Security|

DPC is pleased to announce that the first graduating class of community health workers (CHW) from Illinois have completed the Chronic Kidney Disease CHW training curriculum. DPC has led this effort in Illinois over the last two years, developing the first-in-the-nation kidney disease training curriculum for CHWs. The training will help CHWs educate their communities about kidney disease and help people at risk for kidney failure learn how to take care of their health, slow disease progression and reduce the number of people who start dialysis in the hospital emergency room as they are not aware that their kidneys are [...]

Read More

DPC Comments to CMS Sound Alarm on Workforce Shortages

2024-08-22T14:11:27+00:00August 20th, 2024|Categories: Article, Comment Letter, Innovation, Medicare Advantage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

In our comments responding to Medicare’s annual ESRD Payment Rule, DPC took the government to task over payment updates that lag increases in labor costs and failure to effectively cover new drugs for dialysis patients. The proposed rule grants a net increase in the base rate of only 0.8% during a year in which wages, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, rose 4.2%. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission estimates a margin of zero for dialysis facilities in 2024, with many rural and low-volume facilities in the red. This occurs at a time in which a Supreme Court decision has emboldened [...]

Read More

Indiana Governor Signs Affordable Medigap Access Legislation

2024-08-22T14:12:38+00:00August 16th, 2024|Categories: Article, Medigap Coverage, Protect Patient Care, State Advocacy|

In a major victory for under-age 65 dialysis patients in Indiana, Governor Eric Holcomb signed SB 215 in a formal bill signing ceremony on August 15, 2024. Attending this ceremonial bill signing was DPC Patient Ambassador Arthur Hill and DPC Eastern Region Advocacy Director Elizabeth Lively. Arthur’s impactful story of his dialysis journey elevated the voices of dialysis patients in Indiana, bringing the struggles of dealing with kidney failure to the forefront and influencing the hearts and minds of legislators to support SB 215. SB 215 becomes effective on December 31, 2024. This legislation provides access for under-age 65 dialysis [...]

Read More

DPC Advocates for Dialysis Patients at National Conference of State Legislators Summit

2024-08-22T14:12:44+00:00August 8th, 2024|Categories: Article, Medigap Coverage, Protect Patient Care, State Advocacy|

State legislators from across the nation convened in Louisville, Kentucky August 5-8 for the 50th National Conference of State Legislators Summit. As part of DPCs ongoing work in the states, DPC was on hand to share our critically important work on access to affordable Medigap coverage. Megan Hashbarger, VP of Government Relations, Yolonda Brisbane, Grassroots Manager, and Elizabeth Lively, Eastern Region Advocacy Director attended the event. We heard so many stories from interested state legislators who either a family member or friend dealing with kidney disease issues. Legislators from Arkansas, California, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and [...]

Read More
Toggle Sliding Bar Area
Go to Top