Increase Quality of Care Archives - Dialysis Patient Citizens

DPC Comment Letter to CMS Recounts Heartbreaking Story of Rural Dialysis Clinic Closure
Gallery

DPC Comment Letter to CMS Recounts Heartbreaking Story of Rural Dialysis Clinic Closure

Hannah Bracamonte2025-08-28T13:48:55+00:00August 28th, 2025|Categories: Comment Letter, Dialysis Funding, Improve Access to Care, Innovation, Policy Issues, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care, Quality Incentive Program, Staffing Shortages, Treatment Options|

DPC has submitted its comments responding to this year’s Medicare ESRD Payment Rule. The Medicare agency is proposing a payment update of only 1.9%, which doesn’t keep pace with increasing costs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compensation costs for civilian workers increased 3.6 percent for the 12-month period ending in June, while inflation was 2.7%. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recently reported that dialysis clinics’ Medicare margin was –1.1 percent in 2022 and –0.2 percent in 2023. They project a 2025 FFS Medicare margin of 0 percent. The comment letter brought officials’ attention to the story of a [...]

DPC’s Letter to Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, on ESRD Prospective Payment System
Gallery

DPC’s Letter to Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, on ESRD Prospective Payment System

Hannah Bracamonte2025-08-28T13:46:01+00:00August 27th, 2025|Categories: Comment Letter, Dialysis Funding, Improve Access to Care, Innovation, Policy Issues, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care, Quality Incentive Program, Staffing Shortages, Treatment Options|

August 27, 2025 The Honorable Mehmet Oz Administrator Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20001 Re: CMS-1830-P - End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System Dear Dr. Oz: Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) writes to offer its comments on the above referenced proposed rule. DPC's membership, currently about 35,000, is restricted to kidney disease patients and their family members. DPC is a patient-led organization. Our by-laws require that the President, Vice President and at least 51% of the Board be current dialysis patients. The non-dialysis patients serving on our Board are former dialysis patients with kidney [...]

DPC’s 2025 Advocacy Day
Gallery

DPC’s 2025 Advocacy Day

Hannah Bracamonte2025-07-23T14:55:01+00:00July 23rd, 2025|Categories: About DPC, Advance Patient Choice, Article, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

Last week, DPC hosted our annual Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. where we bring together patients, family members, and care givers to meet with their Members of Congress to elevate the patient story for dialysis patients. This year we had 36 advocates attend, representing 24 states, who had over 80 Congressional meetings. Our patients spoke to their congressional leaders and encouraged their support for the Restore Act (H.R. 2199/S. 1173) and for the Kidney Care Access Protection Act (KCAPA), which is expected to be introduced soon. In doing so, they helped to elevate the voices of the ESRD community nationwide. Additionally, [...]

DPC’s Letter to Thomas J. Engels, Administrator at Health Resources and Services Administration, on Out-of-Sequence Organ Allocations
Gallery

DPC’s Letter to Thomas J. Engels, Administrator at Health Resources and Services Administration, on Out-of-Sequence Organ Allocations

Hannah Bracamonte2025-05-21T20:16:46+00:00May 21st, 2025|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Protect Patient Care|

May 21, 2025 Thomas J. Engels, Administrator Health Resources and Services Administration 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 Re: Out-of-Sequence Organ Allocations Dear Administrator Engels: Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) writes to express our concerns about the growth in out-of-sequence organ transplants reported in a recent New York Times article. DPC's membership, currently about 35,000, is restricted to kidney disease patients and their family members. DPC is a patient-led organization. Our by-laws require that the President, Vice President and at least 51% of the Board be current dialysis patients. The non-dialysis patients serving on our Board are former dialysis patients with [...]

Building Momentum: DPC’s Growing Patient Ambassador Network
Gallery

Building Momentum: DPC’s Growing Patient Ambassador Network

Hannah Bracamonte2025-02-27T15:04:29+00:00February 10th, 2025|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Policy Issues, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care, State Advocacy|

By Yolonda Brisbane, DPC Grassroots Manager Since I began my role as Grassroots Manager for Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) in April 2022, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the growth of something truly special—the Patient Ambassador Program. This network of DPC members from across the country is dedicated to amplifying their voices and making a real difference. Turning personal health challenges and difficult experiences into action, they advocate for better care for the kidney patient community. In addition to their ongoing advocacy efforts, DPC Patient Ambassadors take part in Advocacy Day in Washington, DC, meeting with lawmakers to push for positive [...]

California Resources
Gallery

California Resources

Hannah Bracamonte2025-01-23T17:55:22+00:00January 9th, 2025|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Policy Issues, Promote Financial Security, State Advocacy|

As the wildfires continue to profoundly affect communities in the Los Angeles area, Dialysis Patient Citizens extends its heartfelt support to all who are impacted by this devastating crisis. Thousands of structures have been affected, over 200,000 residents have been displaced, and to date, at least 27 people have lost their lives. Government officials, including Governor Newsom, have issued emergency declarations as the fires intensified, allowing for rapid deployment of resources to protect lives, property, and critical infrastructure. While some of you may not live in the immediate area of the wildfires, we understand that many of you may work, travel, [...]

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

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

Hannah Bracamonte2024-09-26T14:10:05+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 [...]

DPC Comments to CMS Sound Alarm on Workforce Shortages
Gallery

DPC Comments to CMS Sound Alarm on Workforce Shortages

Hannah Bracamonte2024-08-22T14:11:27+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 [...]

DPC’s Letter to Hon. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator for CMS, on CMS-1805-P
Gallery

DPC’s Letter to Hon. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator for CMS, on CMS-1805-P

Hannah Bracamonte2024-08-19T16:23:37+00:00August 19th, 2024|Categories: Comment Letter, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Policy Issues, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

August 19, 2024 Hon. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244 Re: CMS-1805-P: End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System, Payment for Renal Dialysis Services Furnished to Individuals with Acute Kidney Injury, Conditions for Coverage for End-Stage Renal Disease Facilities, End-Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program, and End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Model Dear Administrator Brooks-LaSure: Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) writes to offer its comments on the above referenced proposed rule. DPC's membership, currently about 35,000, is restricted to kidney disease patients and their family members. DPC is a patient-led organization. Our by-laws require [...]

State Advocacy Update – Council of State Governments Meetings
Gallery

State Advocacy Update – Council of State Governments Meetings

Hannah Bracamonte2024-07-25T17:45:31+00:00July 25th, 2024|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Medigap Coverage, News, Policy Issues, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care, State Advocacy|

DPC’s two State Advocacy Directors have been busy advocating for dialysis patients this summer. Pamela Zielske, DPC’s Western Region Advocacy Director, attended the 77th Council of State Governments Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon earlier this month. The event provided an outstanding opportunity to cultivate relationships with state legislators and attend policy sessions and legislative learning labs, including one hosted by Fresenius Medical Care on Improving Equity and Health Outcomes in Kidney Health Care. With legislators in attendance from 13 western states, the CSG West Meeting was a tremendous opportunity to elevate our advocacy work on behalf of dialysis patients with [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens

Recent News