Private Insurance Coverage

While most dialysis patients are entitled to Medicare, federal law also gives them the right to maintain their private, employer coverage for up to 30 months. This option is important to all kidney patients, because it incentivizes health plans to detect and treat Chronic Kidney Disease, take measures to preserve patients’ kidney function for as long as possible, and assure a safe, stable transition to ESRD when kidney failure becomes inevitable. Dialysis patients may wish to maintain their private insurance to continue dental or dependent coverage that are unavailable in Medicare, or to take advantage of lower cost-sharing.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision threatens access to private coverage by permitting health plans to carve off dialysis benefits from their networks, and impose restrictive terms on patients. DPC is fighting for legislation to restore the protections Congress guaranteed 40 years ago.

Dialysis Patients Didn’t Choose Kidney Disease. Please Let Them Choose Their Health Coverage.

Related Information

DPC Advocates Make Their Voices Heard!

February 21st, 2024|Categories: Article, Get Involved, Patient Ambassadors, Patient Stories in the News, Patient's Voice, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Take Action|

DPC’s patient advocates are working hard to make their voices heard through media outreach, by sharing their stories through op-eds and letters to the editor. Coast to coast, patients are letting their local legislators know [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds New Legislation Restoring Protections for Dialysis Patients

December 20th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis Funding, Medicare Advantage, News, Press Release, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 20, 2023) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), the leading advocacy organization for dialysis patients nationwide, today released the following statement applauding the introduction of the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act [...]

DPC Continues Outreach to Protect Patients’ Rights

September 6th, 2022|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Private Insurance Coverage, Protect Patient Care, Take Action, Treatment Options|

DPC Members and Patient Ambassadors continue advocacy on H.R. 8594/S. 4750 - The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act, which would codify into law the right for dialysis patients to stay on their private insurance [...]

Action Alert – Protect ESRD Patient Access to Private Coverage

August 19th, 2022|Categories: Article, Private Insurance Coverage, Protect Patient Care, Take Action|

Ask your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 8594/S. 4750, legislation that would protect ESRD patients by allowing them to maintain private, employer health coverage up to 30 months after diagnosis with kidney failure. A recent Supreme Court ruling now [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds New Legislation Prohibiting Discrimination Against Dialysis Patients

August 1st, 2022|Categories: Medicare Advantage, Press Release, Private Insurance Coverage, Protect Patient Care|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2022) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) today released the following statement applauding the introduction of H.R. 8594 by Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY-9), Buddy Carter (R-GA-1), Jodey Arrington, (R-TX-19), and Danny [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens Statement Following Supreme Court Decision in Marietta Memorial Hospital v. Davita

June 21st, 2022|Categories: Medicare Advantage, Press Release, Private Insurance Coverage, Protect Patient Care|

WASHINGTON, D.C., (June 21, 2022) -- Following the United States Supreme Court decision in the case of Marietta Memorial Hospital v. Davita, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) Board of Directors President Andrew Conkling issued the [...]

  • Individual health insurance policy and stethoscope.

DPC Advocates for Patient Access to Private Health Insurance

October 30th, 2019|Categories: Article, Dialysis Funding, Improve Access to Care, Legal Defense, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security|Tags: |

DPC filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit to protect patient access to private health insurance coverage. This is one of a number of lawsuits challenging discrimination by employer health plans in how they [...]

DPC Supports Improved Access to Private Insurance for Patients

August 22nd, 2018|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article, Comment Letter, Dental Coverage, Private Insurance Coverage|Tags: |

Currently, dialysis patients are restricted to 30 months on private insurance coverage before having to go into Medicare. The House of Representatives recently proposed extending this length of time by three months, which is [...]

DPC Complaint to Department of Labor re: Insurance Plan Discrimination

June 28th, 2016|Categories: Charitable Premium Assistance, Comment Letter, Innovation, Private Insurance Coverage|

The Honorable Phyllis C. Borzi Assistant Secretary Employee Benefits Security Administration United States Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave NW Washington, DC 20210 Re: Violations of Part 7 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act [...]

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Re: Discrimination Against End-Stage Renal Disease Patients by Health Net

May 3rd, 2016|Categories: Charitable Premium Assistance, Comment Letter, Private Insurance Coverage, State Advocacy|

Janice Rocco California Department of Insurance 300 Capitol Mall Suite 1700 Sacramento, CA 95814 Mary Watanabe Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) 980 9th Street, Suite 500 Sacramento, CA 95814 Re: Discrimination against end-stage [...]

DPC Urges Department of Insurance to Protect Dialysis Patient Access in Oregon

October 26th, 2015|Categories: Comment Letter, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, State Advocacy|Tags: |

Ms. Laura Cali, Insurance Commissioner Department of Consumer & Business Services Insurance Division PO Box 14480 Salem, Oregon 97309-0405 Re: Discrimination against end-stage renal disease patients by Regence health plan Dear Commissioner Cali: With 28,000 [...]

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