Hannah Bracamonte, Author at Dialysis Patient Citizens

President Declares State of Emergency in Texas
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President Declares State of Emergency in Texas

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00February 15th, 2021|Categories: Article, Transportation Services|

The winter storm that recently crippled the state of Texas was difficult to watch, knowing millions of people were struggling to access electricity, heat, and clean water. But this situation was even more dire for dialysis patients whose lives literally depend on these resources, as well as the access to safe transportation to them. If you or a loved one are in need of assistance after this storm, please visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ to apply for assistance. Additionally, as a dialysis patient, should you ever find yourself in an emergency situation, please visit https://www.kcercoalition.com/en/patients/ for more information.

Open Enrollment Period for Current Medicare Advantage Members
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Open Enrollment Period for Current Medicare Advantage Members

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00January 25th, 2021|Categories: Article, Medicare Advantage|

From January 1 – March 31 each year, if you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or switch to Original Medicare (and join a separate Medicare drug plan) once during this time. If you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan during your Initial Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7 last year) you can change to another Medicare Advantage Plan or go back to Original Medicare within the first 3 months of 2021. To help kidney patients explore their options, Dialysis Patient Citizens has established Dialysis Plan Choice, an online tool [...]

State Legislatures Introduce Bills that Would Positively Impact Dialysis Patients
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State Legislatures Introduce Bills that Would Positively Impact Dialysis Patients

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00January 22nd, 2021|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Medigap Coverage, State Advocacy, Transplant Donor Protection|

With the start of the new year, state legislatures throughout the country are beginning their legislative sessions with a flurry of new bills being introduced on a wide-ranging number of topics. While the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic impact will dominate much of the activity at state houses across the country this year, we are encouraged that some of the bills already filed this session would improve health outcomes for dialysis patients. Both Arizona and Kentucky have already introduced bills to expand Medicare supplemental insurance, or Medigap. This is significant because Arizona and Kentucky are two of the 28 states that [...]

Recent Healthcare Activity Focuses on Social Determinants of Health
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Recent Healthcare Activity Focuses on Social Determinants of Health

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:01+00:00January 21st, 2021|Categories: Article, Increase Quality of Care, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage|

The past two years have seen a flurry of activity aimed at addressing "social determinants of health” (SDOH) that historically get short shrift in the health care system. SDOH refers to the range of social, environmental, and economic factors that can influence health status—conditions that can often have a greater impact on health outcomes than the actual delivery of health services. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance to state health officials encouraging strategies in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to improve health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and lower overall costs in Medicaid [...]

Update on Immunosuppressive Medications Bill
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Update on Immunosuppressive Medications Bill

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:01+00:00December 30th, 2020|Categories: Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage|

I wanted to thank you for your advocacy efforts in support of extending immunosuppressive drug coverage for transplant patients. Earlier this week, President Trump signed into law much needed legislation that will provide kidney transplant recipients with insurance for anti-rejection medications beyond the current 36 months of Medicare coverage currently available to them. This effort was a top priority for DPC when I joined the organization nearly a decade ago, and we continued to press for passage along with the broader kidney community. While our mission is to improve dialysis patient quality of life, our Board (which consists entirely of ESRD [...]

Happy Holidays and DPC’s Top Accomplishments for 2020
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Happy Holidays and DPC’s Top Accomplishments for 2020

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:01+00:00December 16th, 2020|Categories: About DPC, Article, Care Coordination, Legal Defense, Medicare Advantage, Medigap Coverage, State Advocacy, Take Action|

Dialysis Patient Citizens wants to wish you and your family a Happy Holiday, as well as a safe and healthy New Year. DPC offices will be closed for the holidays starting December 24 through January 1. We also want to take this opportunity to share our list of Top Accomplishments for 2020, which would not have been possible without your support. Thank you again for helping us elevate the dialysis patient voice with policy makers. We are extremely grateful for all of your advocacy efforts, and we look forward to our continued collaboration in 2021 as we work together to [...]

Action Alert – Secure Patient Access to Immunosuppressive Medications
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Action Alert – Secure Patient Access to Immunosuppressive Medications

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:01+00:00December 10th, 2020|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article, Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage, Take Action|

The Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act recently passed in the House and has 24 cosponsors in the Senate. This bill was included in a larger legislative package, and we need your help getting this bill passed by contacting your Senators today. This bill was introduced by Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Michael Burgess (R-TX), as well as Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL). This legislation would extend Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs beyond the current limit of 36 months for patients who are unable to obtain health insurance coverage elsewhere. Immunosuppressive medications play a [...]

Action Alert – Increase Access to Care Coordination for Dialysis Patients
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Action Alert – Increase Access to Care Coordination for Dialysis Patients

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:01+00:00November 17th, 2020|Categories: Article, Care Coordination, Take Action|

The BETTER Kidney Care Act (H.R. 8254/S. 4574) is gaining support in Congress. The bill has 72 cosponsors in the House and three cosponsors in the Senate. Please help us get this bill passed by contacting your Members of Congress today. The BETTER Kidney Care Act (H.R. 8254/S. 4574) was introduced by Senators Young (R-IN) and Sinema (D-AZ), along with Representatives Blumenauer (D-OR) and Smith (R-MO). This bill would enhance access to care coordination services for thousands of patients across the United States currently living with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). It could also help with services not covered by Medicare such as [...]

In Rejecting Prop 23, California Voters Protect Patient Access to Care
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In Rejecting Prop 23, California Voters Protect Patient Access to Care

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:01+00:00November 10th, 2020|Categories: Article, Dialysis Funding, Improve Access to Care, State Advocacy|

California voters overwhelmingly opposed Proposition 23, a statewide measure that threatened dialysis patient access to care. It was the second ballot measure in California proposed by a labor union in the last two years and the second resounding defeat for the union, and this time by an even wider margin than in 2018. DPC was part of a broad and diverse coalition that included other patient advocacy organizations, dialysis providers and caregivers, and groups representing physicians, nurses, veterans and social justice communities that opposed this harmful measure because it threatened patients’ access to care and would have increased overall health care costs [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens and Consumers’ Checkbook Introduce Dialysis Plan Choice To Help Patients During Open Enrollment
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Dialysis Patient Citizens and Consumers’ Checkbook Introduce Dialysis Plan Choice To Help Patients During Open Enrollment

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:01+00:00November 2nd, 2020|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Care Coordination, Medicare Advantage, Press Release|

WASHINGTON, D.C., -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) today introduced Dialysis Plan Choice, a new online tool designed in collaboration with Consumers' Checkbook for dialysis patients to quickly and easily compare their current Medicare Fee-For-Service plan with the options available to them through Medicare Advantage now that Open Enrollment is underway. "For many dialysis patients, this year marks the first time they will be eligible to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans thanks to the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016," said DPC Board President Andrew Conkling. "Since this is new territory for many dialysis patients, we wanted to provide them with [...]

About Hannah Bracamonte

Dialysis Patient Citizens

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