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CMS Proposes Devastating Cuts to Dialysis Payments

2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00July 19th, 2013|Categories: Article, Dialysis Funding, Take Action|

URGENT: Protect your dialysis care! Urge your Members of Congress to prevent a kidney care crisis! The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just released a regulation that proposes to reduce Medicare funding for dialysis treatments by 9.4%. The American Taxpayers Relief Act (the fiscal cliff deal) mandated CMS to adjust the price it pays for dialysis to reflect the recent change in usage of certain anemia management drugs. However, no one in the kidney community expected CMS to propose such a dramatic and potentially devastating cut. Please take a few moments to express your outrage to your Members of [...]

California Medicaid Coverage for Nutritional Supplements Restored

2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00July 19th, 2013|Categories: Article, Improve Access to Care, State Advocacy|

The recently-signed 2013-2014 California budget included a full restoration of Medi-Cal coverage for nutritional supplements for dialysis patients. This change will take effect May 1, 2014. Dialysis patients require access to quality care including physician visits, prescription medication, dialysis treatments and a proper nutritional regimen in order to maintain their health and avoid hospitalization. DPC is pleased to see this coverage restored for California's 53,000 dialysis patients.

OPTN/UNOS Approves New Deceased Donor Kidney Allocation Policy

2024-03-29T02:08:57+00:00July 19th, 2013|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article|

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) board approved a new kidney allocation policy that will substantially change the way deceased donor kidneys are distributed. Many components of the policy will benefit dialysis patients greatly. For example, measuring wait times from the initiation of dialysis will improve access to transplants for those patients who do not receive crucial kidney transplant education. The prior system measured wait times from when the patient signed up for a transplant. The new system will help those who are on dialysis longer get transplants sooner. DPC also supports improving [...]

DPC Joins Kidney Community in Requesting Meeting with CMS on ESCOs

2024-03-29T02:08:58+00:00June 26th, 2013|Categories: Care Coordination, Comment Letter, Innovation|

Dear Ms. Tavenner and Dr. Gilfillan: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, thank you for your leadership of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Together, our organizations represent the patients, physicians, nurses, scientists, and other health professionals dedicated to advancing excellence in the care of patients with kidney disease. Foremost among our shared goals is continuous improvement in the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of care available to patients with kidney disease. Our organizations applaud the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CMS Innovation Center’s establishment of [...]

DPC Thanks South Carolina Senator for his Support in Extending Medigap Coverage to Medicare Patients

2024-03-29T02:08:58+00:00April 3rd, 2013|Categories: Comment Letter, Medicaid, Medigap Coverage, State Advocacy|

The Honorable Harvey S. Peeler Jr. 213 Gressette Building Columbia, SC 29201 Dear Senator Peeler, As the nation’s largest patient-led organization representing dialysis patients, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) works to improve the quality of life for all dialysis patients through education and advocacy. On behalf of our membership, and particularly on behalf of the over 7,800 dialysis patients in South Carolina, we are writing today to thank you for introducing legislation to extend Medigap coverage to Medicare patients under the age of 65 with disabilities or end stage renal disease (ESRD). Once enacted, your legislation will help countless patients pay [...]

Dialysis Advocates Praise Introduction of Kidney Transplant Drug Access Legislation

2024-03-29T02:08:59+00:00March 28th, 2013|Categories: Access to Transplant, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Press Release|

Urge Support for the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2013 (Washington, DC) – In honor of National Kidney Month, dialysis patient advocates praised the introduction of the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2013 (S.323/H.R. 1325). This vital legislation will extend anti-rejection drug coverage for kidney transplant patients under the age of 65 beyond the current three year period. The bill would ensure transplant patients receive the necessary medications to maximize the life of the donated organ while using our limited federal resources more efficiently. “While receiving a kidney transplant is a [...]

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