Dialysis Patient Citizens News
DPC’s Letter to Daniel Farmer of the Stakeholder Engagement Group at CMMI
Daniel Farmer Stakeholder Engagement Group Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244 Dear Mr. Farmer: Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) appreciates the opportunity to provide ongoing feedback from the patient prospective to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) on issues related to the improvement of care for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. We applaud the mission of the department and your role in shaping healthcare through [...]
DPC Encourages New York State Office of Health Insurance Plans to Reinstate Coverage of Oral Nutritional Supplements
Dr. Jonathan Curtin, Medical Director NYS Department of Health Division of OHIP Operations Office of Health Insurance Programs 150 Broadway Albany, NY 12204 Jonathan Bick, Acting Director NYS Department of Health Division of OHIP Operations Office of Health Insurance Programs 150 Broadway Albany, NY 12204 RE: Medicaid Coverage of Enteral Nutritional Supplements Dear Dr. Curtin and Acting Director Bick, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), the nation’s largest patient-led organization representing dialysis patients, strives to improve the quality of life of all end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients through [...]
DPC Comments on MATP Co-payment
March 5, 2012 Department of Public Welfare c/o Regulations Coordinator Room 515 Health and Welfare Building Harrisburg, PA 17120 RE: Proposed Co-payment for Medical Assistance Transportation Program To Whom It May Concern: As America’s largest patient-led organization representing dialysis patients, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) works to improve the quality of life for all dialysis patients through advocacy and education. We are writing today on behalf of the over 14,000 dialysis patients in Pennsylvania, specifically those who utilize the State’s Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP). This program provides [...]
DPC Comments on Medicare Advantage Drive Times
February 24, 2012 Jonathan Blum Deputy Administrator and Director for the Center of Medicare Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Department of Health and Human Services Room 314G 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20201 Re: Time and Distance Criteria for Outpatient Dialysis Dear Mr. Blum: As the nation’s leading kidney disease and dialysis patient advocacy organizations, we appreciate the opportunity to provide comments on the recent changes to the Time and Distance Criteria for Outpatient Dialysis. Each year in the United States, more than 100,000 Americans are [...]
DPC Urges Medicaid to Cover Nutritional Supplements for Dialysis Patients
Vivianne M. Chaumont, Director Division of Medicaid & Long-Term Care Department of Health and Human Services 301 Centennial Mall South Lincoln, NE 68509 Dear Director Chaumont: As America’s largest patient-led organization representing dialysis patients, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) works to improve the quality of life of all dialysis patients through education and advocacy. Today we are writing on behalf of the 1,442 dialysis patients in Nebraska, urging you not to eliminate Medicaid coverage of oral nutritional supplements. Many patients on dialysis utilize these supplements to help maintain [...]
DPC Opposes Proposed Rule to Limit Medicaid Coverage of Nutritional Supplements
Katherine Ceroalo New York State Department of Health Bureau of House Counsel, Regulatory Affairs Unit Room 2438, ESP, Tower Building Albany, NY 12237 RE: Medicaid Benefit Limits for Enteral Formula (I.D. No. HLT-39-11-00007-P) Dear Ms. Ceroalo, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) appreciates the opportunity to submit comments on the proposed rule to limit Medicaid coverage of enteral formula (I.D. No. HLT-39-11-00007-P). We write today on behalf of the 24,941 dialysis patients living in New York because our membership remains profoundly concerned about the restriction of these vital supplements. [...]
DPC Comments on Restrictions to New York Medicaid Coverage of Enteral Nutritional Supplements
Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, Chair, Assembly Health Committee Legislative Office Building (LOB), Room 822 Albany, NY 12248 Senator Kemp Hannon, Chair, Senate Health Committee 420 State Capitol Bldg. Albany, NY 12247 RE: Restrictions to New York Medicaid Coverage of Enteral Nutritional Supplements Dear Senate Health Committee Chair Hannon and Assembly Health Committee Chair Gottfried: As America’s largest patient-led organization representing dialysis patients, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) works to improve the quality of life of dialysis patients. Today we write on behalf of the 24,491 dialysis patients in New [...]
Dialysis Patient Citizens’ Patient Advocates Storm Capitol Hill
Participants met with Members of Congress to Discuss Extending Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Transplant Patients, Deficit Reduction Efforts (Washington, DC) – Last week, patient advocates with Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) traveled to Washington, DC to meet with their Members of Congress and discuss legislative issues important to the 31 million Americans with chronic kidney disease. Participants from 21 states came to the nation’s capital for a multi-day trip that included a congressional briefing, training session and culminated in a day of meetings on Capitol Hill. DPC, the nation’s [...]
Dialysis Patient Citizens Provides Comments to CMS on ESRD Quality Incentive Program
Letter Outlines Key Priorities Including Timeliness of Data, Lower Level Hemoglobin Measure (Washington, DC) - Yesterday, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), the nation’s largest, patient-led dialysis organization, provided comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the Proposed Rule for the Changes to the End Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System for CY 2012, End Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program for PY 2013 and PY 2014. As a member of Kidney Care Partners (KCP), DPC stated its strong support for the comments submitted by [...]
DPC’s Letter to Acting Director Richard J. Gilfillan for CMMI
Acting Director Richard J. Gilfillan, M.D. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Mail Stop C5-15-12, Room C5-15-03 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244 Dear Dr. Gilfillan: Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), the nation’s largest dialysis patient organization, is writing to encourage the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to implement a large-scale program targeted at improving health outcomes and quality of care for beneficiaries with end stage renal disease (ESRD), which would build on the [...]
Shared Savings Program and Accountable Care Organizations
Dr. Donald Berwick Administrator Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Department of Health and Human Services Hubert H. Humphrey Building Room 445-G 200 Independence Ave, SW Washington, DC 20201 Re: CMS-1345-P: Medicare Program; Shared Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations Dear Dr. Berwick: Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) appreciates the opportunity to comment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the Proposed Rule for the Medicare Shared Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). As America’s largest dialysis patient organization, DPC seeks to ensure that the patient’s [...]