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What Patients Should Know About Medicare’s New Immunosuppressive Drug Benefit

2024-03-29T01:09:18+00:00April 18th, 2023|Categories: Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Medicare Advantage, News|

It had always seemed illogical that Medicare coverage for under-65 ESRD patients ends 36 months after a successful kidney transplant. Why would Medicare make a huge investment in a transplant and then stop paying to safeguard the organ from rejection? For this reason, decades ago kidney care advocates sought a new Medicare benefit extending coverage for immunosuppressive drugs. This bill finally became law in December 2020, and is now being implemented by Medicare. While kidney care advocates applauded this development, it’s important to understand that the context for the bill has changed in light of passage of the Affordable Care [...]

2021 Annual Survey Last Call!

2024-03-29T01:10:13+00:00August 26th, 2021|Categories: 5-Star Ratings, Access to Transplant, Article, Care Coordination, Charitable Premium Assistance, Dental Coverage, Dialysis Funding, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Innovation, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Medigap Coverage, Patient's Voice, Protect Patient Care, Quality Incentive Program, Take Action, Transplant Donor Protection, Transportation Services, Treatment Options|Tags: |

24 hours remain to complete our survey. Make sure to complete your survey for a chance at one of 10 remaining $100 gift certificates. Our 2021 Annual Membership Survey is live, and it will remain open until Friday, August 27. Your feedback helps to shape our public policy agenda and patient education priorities for the next year. This year we ask that both patients and caregivers take our survey. Rest assured your responses will remain completely anonymous. We only share the overall survey results with state and federal level policy makers, so they will better understand your needs, experiences, and [...]

State Legislatures Introduce Bills that Would Positively Impact Dialysis Patients

2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00January 22nd, 2021|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Medigap Coverage, State Advocacy, Transplant Donor Protection|

With the start of the new year, state legislatures throughout the country are beginning their legislative sessions with a flurry of new bills being introduced on a wide-ranging number of topics. While the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic impact will dominate much of the activity at state houses across the country this year, we are encouraged that some of the bills already filed this session would improve health outcomes for dialysis patients. Both Arizona and Kentucky have already introduced bills to expand Medicare supplemental insurance, or Medigap. This is significant because Arizona and Kentucky are two of the 28 states that [...]

Update on Immunosuppressive Medications Bill

2024-03-29T01:12:01+00:00December 30th, 2020|Categories: Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage|

I wanted to thank you for your advocacy efforts in support of extending immunosuppressive drug coverage for transplant patients. Earlier this week, President Trump signed into law much needed legislation that will provide kidney transplant recipients with insurance for anti-rejection medications beyond the current 36 months of Medicare coverage currently available to them. This effort was a top priority for DPC when I joined the organization nearly a decade ago, and we continued to press for passage along with the broader kidney community. While our mission is to improve dialysis patient quality of life, our Board (which consists entirely of ESRD [...]

Action Alert – Secure Patient Access to Immunosuppressive Medications

2024-03-29T01:12:01+00:00December 10th, 2020|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Take Action|

The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act recently passed in the House and has 24 cosponsors in the Senate. This bill was included in a larger legislative package, and we need your help getting this bill passed by contacting your Senators today. This bill was introduced by Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Michael Burgess (R-TX), as well as Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL). This legislation would extend Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs beyond the current limit of 36 months for patients who are unable to obtain health insurance coverage elsewhere. Immunosuppressive medications play a [...]

Action Alert – Secure Kidney Patient Access to Immunosuppressive Medications

2024-03-29T01:12:02+00:00October 5th, 2020|Categories: Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Take Action|

The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act (H.R. 5534, S. 3353) is gaining momentum in Congress. The bill was voted out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and has over 100 cosponsors in the House and over 20 cosponsors in the Senate. We need you to help us press for passage by contacting your Members of Congress today. This bill was introduced by Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Michael Burgess (R-TX), as well as Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL). This legislation would extend Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs beyond the current limit of 36 [...]

DPC’s 2020 Annual Membership Survey is Live!

2024-03-29T01:12:03+00:00August 6th, 2020|Categories: 5-Star Ratings, Access to Transplant, Article, Care Coordination, Charitable Premium Assistance, Dental Coverage, Dialysis Funding, Get Involved, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Innovation, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Medigap Coverage, Quality Incentive Program, Take Action, Transplant Donor Protection, Transportation Services, Treatment Options|Tags: |

Elevate the Voice of Patients with Kidney Disease and Their Caregivers Our 2020 Annual Membership Survey is live, and it will remain open until Friday, August 21. We are counting on your participation, as patient feedback helps to shape our public policy agenda and patient education priorities for the next year. This year we ask that both patients and caregivers take our survey. Rest assured your responses will remain completely anonymous. We only share the overall survey results with state and federal level policy makers, so they will better understand your needs, experiences, and preferences. Your feedback is crucial. Therefore, we will [...]

Action Alert – Help us Increase Patient Access to Immunosuppressive Medications

2024-03-29T01:12:03+00:00July 28th, 2020|Categories: Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Medicare Advantage, News, Take Action|

The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act (H.R. 5534, S. 3353) is gaining momentum in Congress, and we need your help continuing to get the word out. This bill was introduced by Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Michael Burgess (R-TX), as well as Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA). This legislation would extend Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs beyond the current limit of 36 months for patients who are unable to obtain health insurance coverage elsewhere. Immunosuppressive medications play a critical role in preventing transplant recipients from rejecting a donor kidney. Right now, after dialysis patients receive a transplant, [...]

Action Alert – Secure Patient Access to Immunosuppressive Medications

2024-03-29T01:13:32+00:00January 12th, 2020|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Take Action|

The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2019 (H.R. 5534) was recently introduced by Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Michael Burgess (R-TX). This legislation would extend Medicare coverage of immunosuppressant drugs beyond the current limit of 36 months for patients who are unable to obtain health insurance coverage elsewhere. Immunosuppressive medications play a critical role in preventing transplant recipients from rejecting a donor kidney. Right now, after dialysis patients receive a transplant, if they are under the age of 65, they are only eligible to remain on Medicare for an additional 36 months. After this three-year [...]

Happy Holidays and DPC’s Top 10 Accomplishments of 2019

2024-03-29T01:13:32+00:00December 20th, 2019|Categories: 5-Star Ratings, About DPC, Access to Transplant, Article, Care Coordination, Charitable Premium Assistance, Dental Coverage, Dialysis Funding, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Innovation, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Medigap Coverage, Quality Incentive Program, Transplant Donor Protection, Transportation Services, Treatment Options|

Dialysis Patient Citizens wants to wish you and your family a Happy Holiday, as well as a safe and healthy New Year. Our offices will be closed for the holidays starting December 23 through January 1. We also want to take this opportunity to share our list of Top 10 Accomplishments for 2019, which would not have been possible without your support. Thank you again for helping us elevate the dialysis patient voice with policy makers. We are extremely grateful for all of your advocacy efforts, and we look forward to our continued collaboration in 2020 as we work together to improve dialysis [...]

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