Happy New Year!
In 2015, DPC leadership and its strong patient advocacy efforts at the state level fought to: prevent dramatic cuts to dialysis funding in Alabama and Illinois and preserve charity payments for dialysis patient premiums. Other highlights include:
- The opportunity for DPC CEO Hrant Jamgochian and board member Bob Lee to testify in front of the Oregon insurance commissioner on the discriminatory language found in two private insurance plans that would limit coverage for ESRD patients. The commissioner ruled against the language.
- DPC board member Danny Iniguez discussed health disparities in kidney disease at the National Black Caucus of State Legislators’ Conference in December.
- DPC Patient Ambassadors participated in countless district meetings organizing key facility tour visits in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
On the federal level, DPC continues to work hard for passage of “The Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act,” prioritizing the provision that would remove the ban on dialysis patients from enrolling in Medicare Advantage. DPC’s efforts to elevate the patient voice with federal policy makers in 2015, also resulted in:
- Language in the Chronic Disease Working Group discussion draft discussing Medicare Advantage (MA) for dialysis patients.
- The launch of 13 End-stage Renal Disease Seamless Care Organizations (ESCO) by the CMS Innovation Center to coordinate care for dialysis patients.
- Patient participation on CMS Technical Expert Panels for: Transplantation, Star Ratings and Coordination of Care.
- The impending introduction of a new Medicare integrated Care bill for dialysis patients.
By the numbers:
- 3,000 new DPC members, many of whom are Partners-in-Care
- Grassroots messages sent to nearly every Senator and most House members
- Generating more than 30,000 regular users for DPC’s website
DPC thanks everyone for their help and participation. We are looking forward to another successful year of working with the kidney community.
