Improve Access to Care

DPC’s mission is to improve dialysis patients’ quality of life. A critical element of quality of life for patients is access to dialysis care.

Quality of life is improved when we have:

Ability to choose the modality that is consistent with our individual needs;
Access to centers that are convenient to travel to;
Access to centers that provide the best quality care;
Access to centers that are open during hours that permit us to plan dialysis around our lives, rather than having to plan life around our dialysis schedules;
Ability to choose the frequency of our treatments in order to maximize the benefits;
Access to centers where we can get continuity of care, from our physicians and the rest of the dialysis care team.

Quality of life is impeded when restrictions limit the choices patients have to receive our treatment. To this end, DPC advocates for the broadest possible choice of dialysis care for all patients, and against limitations or restrictions (of financial, policy, or other nature) that effectively limit such a choice.

Explore the Issues

Portrait of senior couple at the clinic leaninig their heads together and looking at the camera smiling while a team of doctors and nurses are standing at the background

Care Coordination

African american female dentist treating patient at clinic

Dental Coverage

A disabled senior African American man has gotten out of a car, and is sitting in his wheelchair. His loving wife is talking to him with her arm around his neck.

Transportation Services

Explore the Issues

Become a Patient Ambassador

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Make a Phone Call

Related Information

DPC Responds to Medicare’s Move Toward Medically Necessary Dental Care

Hannah Bracamonte2022-09-20T17:37:03+00:00August 26th, 2022|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article, Comment Letter, Dental Coverage, Improve Access to Care, Medicare Advantage|

DPC submitted a comment letter applauding the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for its announcement that it will cover dental work for kidney transplant candidates when oral health issues are a barrier to [...]

DPC’s Letter to Hon. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator for CMS, on Move Toward Medically Necessary Dental Care

Hannah Bracamonte2022-09-15T17:41:44+00:00August 25th, 2022|Categories: Comment Letter, Dental Coverage, Medicare Advantage, Protect Patient Care|

August 25, 2022 Hon. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244 Re: CMS-1770-P (Section II.L.) Dear Administrator Brooks-LaSure: Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) writes to offer its [...]

Medicare Dental Coverage for Transplant Candidates May be on the Way

Hannah Bracamonte2022-07-26T19:41:29+00:00July 5th, 2022|Categories: Article, Dental Coverage, Medicare Advantage|

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing expanded coverage of “medically necessary” dental treatment, including treatments necessary to qualify for an organ transplant. DPC and other consumer advocates have been pressing for [...]