Dialysis Funding Archives - Page 6 of 7 - Dialysis Patient Citizens

DPC Submits Comments on this Year’s Medicare ESRD Payment Rule

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:04+00:00September 4th, 2014|Categories: Article, Dialysis Funding, Quality Incentive Program|

In late August, DPC submitted comments to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its payment-setting rule for dialysis facilities in 2015. The rule keeps next year’s payments for dialysis level with this year’s, following a mandate from Congress, but makes some changes to the ESRD Quality Incentive Program (“QIP”) that reduces payments to the lowest-performing facilities. Here are highlights of proposed changes along with DPC’s commentary: Patient Satisfaction Survey Scores To Count Toward QIP Payment Reductions: For several years now, dialysis facilities have administered the “CAHPS” survey of patient experience to patients. However, under current regulations, dialysis facilities [...]

DPC Comments on 2015 Prospective Payment System and QIP

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:04+00:00August 28th, 2014|Categories: Comment Letter, Dialysis Funding, Quality Incentive Program|

Hon. Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Department of Health and Human Services Hubert H. Humphrey Building 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20201 Re: CMS-1614-P: End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System, Quality Incentive Program, and Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies Dear Administrator Tavenner: Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) appreciates the opportunity to provide the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with comments on the proposed payment rule for the Medicare End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program. As America’s largest patient-led organization representing dialysis patients, DPC’s membership consists of more than 26,000 dialysis and pre-dialysis [...]

DPC Signs on to Letter Supporting Increased NIDDK Kidney Research Funding

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:06+00:00April 4th, 2014|Categories: Comment Letter, Dialysis Funding|

Dialysis Reimbursements Stabilized by Protecting Access to Medicare Act

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:06+00:00April 2nd, 2014|Categories: Article, Dialysis Funding, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage|

This week President Obama signed the Protecting Access to Medicare Act, which contained some provisions favorable to dialysis patients. The primary purpose of the legislation was to stabilize Medicare payments to physicians, but Congress also used the opportunity to stabilize reimbursements to dialysis facilities. A large cut that had been scheduled to take effect in 2016 has been replaced by smaller, fixed-amount cuts that afford providers more certainty about revenues in coming years. This new payment formula will encourage providers to renew expiring leases on dialysis facilities and continue to invest in improved kidney care infrastructure. Another provision further delays addition [...]

DPC Advocates Fly to Washington for 2014 World Kidney Fly-in
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DPC Advocates Fly to Washington for 2014 World Kidney Fly-in

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:06+00:00April 1st, 2014|Categories: Article, Dialysis Funding, Improve Access to Care, Promote Financial Security|Tags: Advocacy Day|

DPC advocates flew to Washington, DC for our 2014 World Kidney Day Fly-in. Twenty-six patients and family members were joined by 19 provider representatives from 24 states. Advocates conducted 94 meetings with Members of Congress and their staff. This year, we asked Congress to protect funding for the Medicare ESRD program and to open Medicare Part C to people on dialysis. Take a look at these pictures for the full story. The patients in the these pictures are our most active Patient Ambassadors. If you are interested in becoming a strong advocate for people with kidney disease, join the Patient Ambassador program! [...]

Patient Outcry Draws a Two-Year Reprieve From Dialysis Cuts
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Patient Outcry Draws a Two-Year Reprieve From Dialysis Cuts

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:08+00:00December 1st, 2013|Categories: Article, Care Coordination, Dialysis Funding, Treatment Options|

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acknowledged patient concerns by delaying for two years its planned cut to the Medicare End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program. The Medicare agency’s decision didn’t give dialysis patients everything we asked for, but it does mean that nearly $2 billion slated to be cut from kidney care in 2014 and 2015 will remain available to treat patients. However, it also means that patient advocates must be vigilant for any signs that access to care is shrinking as providers anticipate cuts now scheduled to take effect in 2016. The Medicare ruling came in the [...]

CMS Releases Final Rule on 9.4% Cut to Medicare ESRD Program
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CMS Releases Final Rule on 9.4% Cut to Medicare ESRD Program

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:08+00:00November 26th, 2013|Categories: Dialysis Funding, Improve Access to Care|

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just released a final rule on the proposed 9.4% cut to dialysis funding. The final rule made the following changes: The payment rate for dialysis services will remain the same in 2014 and 2015. The proposed 12% cut to dialysis was delayed until 2016 and will be phased in over 4 years. There will be a 50% increase in the home dialysis training payment. In response, DPC released the following statement: DPC appreciates the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) acknowledgment of patient concerns in delaying implementation of its proposed cut to [...]

Dialysis Advocates Oppose Cuts in Washington, DC
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Dialysis Advocates Oppose Cuts in Washington, DC

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:09+00:00October 8th, 2013|Categories: Article, Dialysis Funding|Tags: Advocacy Day|

We still need your help letting your Members of Congress know that you strongly disagree with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid's (CMS) proposed 9.4% cut to dialysis treatment funding. Earlier this month we had an extremely successful Fly-In here in Washington, DC. A Fly-In, if you aren't familiar with the term, is a focused event that invites individuals to Washington, DC, to meet with key elected officials on Capitol Hill who need to be informed on a specific issue by the people who are personally impacted. Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), American Kidney Fund (AKF) and Renal Support Network (RSN) welcomed [...]

DPC Comments on the Proposed 9.4 Percent Cut to the Medicare ESRD Program

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00August 30th, 2013|Categories: Comment Letter, Dialysis Funding|

Stop the Cuts to Dialysis Treatment Reimbursement
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Stop the Cuts to Dialysis Treatment Reimbursement

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00July 23rd, 2013|Categories: Dialysis Funding|

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency responsible for Medicare, just released a regulation that proposes to reduce Medicare funding for dialysis treatments by 9.4%. Please take a few moments to express your outrage to your Members of Congress. Otherwise, they will assume that the cuts are not harmful. If you would like to express your concern to your members of Congress electronically, simply follow the links in the flyer. If you would like to send a physical letter to your members of Congress contact DPC at (866)-877-4242 to receive our sample letter and your legislators' contact information. Ask your [...]

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