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About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 629 blog entries.

New bill offers hope for Nebraskans with kidney disease struggling to afford coverage

2024-03-29T01:09:17+00:00May 10th, 2023|Categories: Medigap Coverage, Patient Stories in the News, Spotlight|

We are in a critical moment for health care in Nebraska. According to the Nebraska Hospital Association, health care costs are on the rise and likely to stay high, in part due to inflation affecting hospital equipment, labor shortages and other factors. As these costs rise, hospitals are overflowing with patients despite falling numbers of COVID-19 cases. These pressures add up to create a concerning outlook for both health care providers and patients across Nebraska. This is especially true for those patients who were already struggling even before rising costs and limited space came to the forefront. Dialysis patients are at a distinct [...]

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Local View: Time to close the Medigap

2024-03-29T01:09:17+00:00May 10th, 2023|Categories: Medigap Coverage, Patient Stories in the News|

Oct. 10, 2018 marked the start of an incredibly difficult period for my family. That was the day my husband Steve left our home in North Platte to move to North Dakota – more than 10 hours away – just so we could pay for the medical care I needed to fight multiple sclerosis. I was diagnosed with MS more than 20 years ago while working as a registered nurse. Its progression caused changes in my employment – from a clinic nurse and public health nurse to a sedentary position reviewing Medicare files. The disease’s progression eventually forced me to [...]

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House Introduction of the Living Donor Protection Act

2024-03-29T01:09:18+00:00May 1st, 2023|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

On April 27th, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH), Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA), Congressman John Curtis (R-UT), Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Congressman Gregory F. Murphy, M.D. (R-NC), and joined by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), introduced the Living Donor Protection Act to protect the rights of living organ donors. This legislation would prohibit life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying or limiting coverage and from charging higher premiums for living organ donors; It would amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 [...]

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What Patients Should Know About Medicare’s New Immunosuppressive Drug Benefit

2024-03-29T01:09:18+00:00April 18th, 2023|Categories: Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Medicare Advantage, News|

It had always seemed illogical that Medicare coverage for under-65 ESRD patients ends 36 months after a successful kidney transplant. Why would Medicare make a huge investment in a transplant and then stop paying to safeguard the organ from rejection? For this reason, decades ago kidney care advocates sought a new Medicare benefit extending coverage for immunosuppressive drugs. This bill finally became law in December 2020, and is now being implemented by Medicare. While kidney care advocates applauded this development, it’s important to understand that the context for the bill has changed in light of passage of the Affordable Care [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds Kentucky Legislation Expanding Medigap Access

2024-03-29T01:09:18+00:00April 6th, 2023|Categories: Medigap Coverage, News, Press Release, State Advocacy|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 6, 2023) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) today applauds the signing of Kentucky bill HB 345, which will ensure access to Medicare Supplement – also called Medigap -- coverage for Kentuckians under 65 living with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This bill received resounding bipartisan support in both the Kentucky Senate, where it passed on a 37-0 vote, and in the Kentucky House of Representatives, which passed the measure on a 91-1 vote. HB 345, which was introduced by Representative Kimberly Poore Moser (R-District 64), allows Commonwealth residents under 65 to acquire affordable Medigap plans to supplement their Medicare coverage. In [...]

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Reminder – 24 Hours Left to Apply!

2024-03-29T01:09:18+00:00March 30th, 2023|Categories: Article, Get Involved, Policy Issues, Take Action|

Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) will host our Annual Congressional Advocacy Day on October 23, 2023. Participants will be selected based on the quality of their applications, legislative priorities, and previous involvement in DPC's advocacy efforts. We will hold a training session ahead of our congressional meeting for those participating, both virtually and in-person, to explain the process and review our current legislative “asks.” The application period is open until March 31, 2023. We just ask that you tell us a little about yourself and why you think you would be a good candidate for this incredible opportunity. We will make a [...]

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DPC State Advocacy – March 2023 Update

2024-03-29T01:09:18+00:00March 27th, 2023|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article, Get Involved, Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, State Advocacy, Transplant Donor Protection|

It has been a busy and productive legislative session for DPC’s state advocacy efforts. Bills impacting dialysis patients have been introduced in multiple state legislatures and in most cases have moved quickly through the legislative process. Improving access to Medigap coverage is a top priority for DPC, and we are thrilled that several states are working to improve Medigap access. Just last week, DPC celebrated Governor Glenn Youngkin's (R) signing of Virginia bills SB 1409 and HB 1640 into law, guaranteeing access to affordable Medigap coverage for thousands of Virginians under 65 living with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In Kentucky, Medigap [...]

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Dialysis Patient Citizens Celebrates Virginia Legislation Guaranteeing Medigap Access

2024-03-29T01:09:18+00:00March 24th, 2023|Categories: Medigap Coverage, Press Release, Promote Financial Security, State Advocacy|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 24, 2023) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) today celebrates Governor Glenn Youngkin’s (R) signing of Virginia bills SB 1409 and HB 1640 into law, guaranteeing access to affordable Medigap coverage for thousands of Virginians under 65 living with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Each of these bills, which contain identical language and were passed with nearly unanimous support in both the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, were spearheaded by House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore (R-1) and Senator George Barker (D-39). These pieces of legislation come with no fiscal impact to the Commonwealth, and are only estimated to have [...]

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HHS Announces Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Modernization Initiative

2024-03-29T01:09:19+00:00March 22nd, 2023|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article, Treatment Options|

In March, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a Modernization Initiative to strengthen accountability and transparency in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). The initiative includes posting of data dashboards detailing individual transplant center and organ procurement organization performance; improvement of the OPTN IT system; and competitive bidding to manage the OPTN. “Every day, patients and families across the United States rely on the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to save the lives of their loved ones who experience organ failure,” said Carole Johnson, HRSA Administrator. [...]

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National Kidney Month Reminds Us of the Possibilities of Life on Dialysis

2024-03-29T01:09:19+00:00February 21st, 2023|Categories: Article, Care Coordination, Medigap Coverage, News, Patient Ambassadors, Patient's Voice, Policy Issues, Spotlight, Treatment Options|

The coming March marks the start of National Kidney Month, a time to promote kidney health, raise awareness of the obstacles facing patients, and advocate for policies that help them as they navigate life with kidney disease. However, National Kidney Month also means so much more. It is an opportunity to spread awareness of the fact that being on dialysis doesn’t mean having to put your life on hold. You can still pursue a career and do the things you love most, whether that’s traveling, camping, or spending time with family and friends. At Dialysis Patient Citizens, we are extremely [...]

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