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Dialysis Patient Citizens Statement on New CMS Rule That Would Harm Patient Access to Care

2023-07-05T15:49:23+00:00June 29th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis Funding, News, Press Release|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 29, 2023) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), the nation's largest dialysis patient advocacy organization, released the following statement regarding a new rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would only increase reimbursement for dialysis treatments by 1.6% in calendar year 2024, while also falling short in funding access to new therapies. "This proposed rule sends a clear and unfortunate message that CMS does not prioritize access to care for kidney disease patients like me," said Andrew Conkling, DPC's Board Chair and a lifelong kidney patient. "Dialysis patients are already some of the most vulnerable Americans, and [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds Kentucky Legislation Expanding Medigap Access

2023-04-18T17:01:11+00:00April 6th, 2023|Categories: Medigap Coverage, News, Press Release, State Advocacy|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 6, 2023) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) today applauds the signing of Kentucky bill HB 345, which will ensure access to Medicare Supplement – also called Medigap -- coverage for Kentuckians under 65 living with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This bill received resounding bipartisan support in both the Kentucky Senate, where it passed on a 37-0 vote, and in the Kentucky House of Representatives, which passed the measure on a 91-1 vote. HB 345, which was introduced by Representative Kimberly Poore Moser (R-District 64), allows Commonwealth residents under 65 to acquire affordable Medigap plans to supplement their Medicare coverage. In [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens Celebrates Virginia Legislation Guaranteeing Medigap Access

2023-03-27T20:09:32+00:00March 24th, 2023|Categories: Medigap Coverage, Press Release, Promote Financial Security, State Advocacy|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 24, 2023) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) today celebrates Governor Glenn Youngkin’s (R) signing of Virginia bills SB 1409 and HB 1640 into law, guaranteeing access to affordable Medigap coverage for thousands of Virginians under 65 living with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Each of these bills, which contain identical language and were passed with nearly unanimous support in both the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, were spearheaded by House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore (R-1) and Senator George Barker (D-39). These pieces of legislation come with no fiscal impact to the Commonwealth, and are only estimated to have [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds New Legislation Prohibiting Discrimination Against Dialysis Patients

2022-08-04T18:43:25+00:00August 1st, 2022|Categories: Medicare Advantage, Press Release, Private Insurance Coverage, Protect Patient Care|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2022) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) today released the following statement applauding the introduction of H.R. 8594 by Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY-9), Buddy Carter (R-GA-1), Jodey Arrington, (R-TX-19), and Danny Davis (D-IL-7) to prohibit discrimination against dialysis patients in insurance coverage. “We thank Representatives Clarke, Carter, Arrington, and Davis for introducing this essential piece of legislation that will protect dialysis patients from facing unjust discrimination in their health coverage,” said DPC Board President Andrew Conkling. “Dialysis patients have a right to continue on employer-provided plans for 30 months after being diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens Statement Following Supreme Court Decision in Marietta Memorial Hospital v. Davita

2022-08-04T18:46:48+00:00June 21st, 2022|Categories: Medicare Advantage, Press Release, Private Insurance Coverage, Protect Patient Care|

WASHINGTON, D.C., (June 21, 2022) -- Following the United States Supreme Court decision in the case of Marietta Memorial Hospital v. Davita, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) Board of Directors President Andrew Conkling issued the following statement: “DPC is deeply disappointed by today’s Supreme Court decision,” said DPC Board President Andrew Conkling. “Congress long ago reaffirmed privately-insured patients’ right to continue on their employer-sponsored plan for 30 months. This played an important role in preserving patient choice and incentivizing insurers to detect and treat Chronic Kidney Disease. ESRD patients are among the most vulnerable Americans and face some of the largest [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens Commends Reintroduction of the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act

2021-03-12T21:14:45+00:00March 12th, 2021|Categories: Press Release|

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) released the following statement today thanking Congresswomen Cynthia Axne (D-IA-03) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-03) for introducing the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act (H.R. 1676) in honor of founding DPC Board member and longest-serving president Jack Reynolds. The bill, which was originally introduced last year, would expand Medigap coverage for patients under 65 who suffer from End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). "Currently, it's up to each state to determine whether Medigap plans are sold to the more than 9 million people younger than 65 years old who could qualify because of their kidney illnesses," Rep. Axne said. "The issue that [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens and Consumers’ Checkbook Introduce Dialysis Plan Choice To Help Patients During Open Enrollment

2020-11-02T20:06:26+00:00November 2nd, 2020|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Care Coordination, Medicare Advantage, Press Release|

WASHINGTON, D.C., -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) today introduced Dialysis Plan Choice, a new online tool designed in collaboration with Consumers' Checkbook for dialysis patients to quickly and easily compare their current Medicare Fee-For-Service plan with the options available to them through Medicare Advantage now that Open Enrollment is underway. "For many dialysis patients, this year marks the first time they will be eligible to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans thanks to the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016," said DPC Board President Andrew Conkling. "Since this is new territory for many dialysis patients, we wanted to provide them with [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens Commends Introduction of the BETTER Kidney Care Act

2020-09-16T18:34:36+00:00September 16th, 2020|Categories: Care Coordination, Press Release|

WASHINGTON, D.C., (September 16, 2020) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) today applauded introduction of the BETTER Kidney Care Act (H.R. 8254/S. 4574) by Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) along with Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3) and Jason Smith (R-MO-8). This bill would enhance access to care coordination services for thousands of patients across the United States currently living with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). "We applaud Senators Young and Sinema along with Representatives Blumenauer and Smith for introducing the BETTER Kidney Care Act. We are grateful for their continued leadership and efforts to improve the lives of Americans who suffer from kidney disease," said DPC Board President [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds Introduction of the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act

2020-09-11T18:36:18+00:00September 8th, 2020|Categories: Medigap Coverage, Press Release|

Jack Reynolds WASHINGTON, D.C., (September 8, 2020) -- Dialysis Patients Citizens (DPC) today applauded the introduction of the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act, new legislation sponsored by U.S. Representative Cynthia Axne (D-IA-3) in honor of founding DPC Board member and longest serving president Jack Reynolds. This bill would expand Medigap coverage for End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients under the age of 65. “My top priorities in Congress have been to protect those living with pre-existing conditions and making health care accessible for those in need of treatment,” Rep. Axne said. “For someone like Jack who had kidney [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens Files Lawsuit Against HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CMS Administrator Seema Verma Over New Regulation That Undercuts Dialysis Patient Access to Affordable, High-Quality Care

2020-09-24T16:18:19+00:00June 22nd, 2020|Categories: Care Coordination, Legal Defense, Medicare Advantage, News, Press Release|

WASHINGTON, D.C., (June 22, 2020) -- Today, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in opposition to a discriminatory new federal regulation that will limit the ability of hundreds of thousands of End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients to access affordable, high quality treatment. “ESRD patients successfully fought to get Congress to pass bipartisan legislation that would ensure [...]

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