Hannah Bracamonte, Author at Dialysis Patient Citizens

Statement of Dialysis Patient Citizens on Confirmation of Xavier Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services
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Statement of Dialysis Patient Citizens on Confirmation of Xavier Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00March 23rd, 2021|Categories: News|

Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) congratulates Xavier Becerra on his confirmation as Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). DPC appreciates his dedication to serving our nation and looks forward to working with him on policies that benefit the health and well-being of the millions of Americans suffering from kidney disease, and especially those who require dialysis treatments. Dialysis Patient Citizens is a nationwide, non-profit, patient-led organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for all dialysis patients through education and advocacy. Through our efforts, we look to provide a voice to these patients and amplify their [...]

DPC’s Annual Advocacy Day Application is Now Open! Apply by April 9, 2021
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DPC’s Annual Advocacy Day Application is Now Open! Apply by April 9, 2021

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00March 19th, 2021|Categories: Article, Get Involved, Take Action|

Each year Dialysis Patient Citizens is pleased to bring kidney patients and transplant recipients to Washington, D.C. to meet with their legislators and talk about issues that affect their quality of care. Due to the ongoing pandemic and out of abundance of safety for our patients, this year we will be hosting our fly-in virtually on September 21st, with two opportunities of training beforehand. Participants will be selected based on the quality of their application, legislative priorities, and previous involvement in DPC's advocacy efforts. Next year when we are hopefully able to resume an in person fly-in, previous participation will also [...]

Bipartisan Living Donor Protection Act Introduced to Protect Organ Donors
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Bipartisan Living Donor Protection Act Introduced to Protect Organ Donors

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00March 18th, 2021|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Policy Issues, Transplant Donor Protection|

Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Congresswoman Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-WA), 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. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) does not specify that living organ donors can take unpaid leave to recover from their donation and does not guarantee that donors will have a job waiting for them after surgery. Further, according to a 2007 study in the American Journal of Transplantation, as many as 11% of living organ donors experience difficulty securing or paying for insurance after [...]

Bipartisan, Bicameral Members of Congress Urge Biden Administration to Finalize Organ Procurement Reforms
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Bipartisan, Bicameral Members of Congress Urge Biden Administration to Finalize Organ Procurement Reforms

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00March 16th, 2021|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article|

A coalition of congressional leaders from the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform today urged the Biden administration to finalize a rule to reform the organ procurement system in the United States. The letter, sent to Acting Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Norris Cochran was signed by Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Todd Young, R-Ind.; House Committee on Oversight and Reform (COR) Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., and Ranking Member James Comer, R-Ky.; House COR Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee Chair Raja Krishnamoorthi, [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens Commends Reintroduction of the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act
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Dialysis Patient Citizens Commends Reintroduction of the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00March 12th, 2021|Categories: Press Release|

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) released the following statement today thanking Congresswomen Cynthia Axne (D-IA-03) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-03) for introducing the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act (H.R. 1676) in honor of founding DPC Board member and longest-serving president Jack Reynolds. The bill, which was originally introduced last year, would expand Medigap coverage for patients under 65 who suffer from End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). "Currently, it's up to each state to determine whether Medigap plans are sold to the more than 9 million people younger than 65 years old who could qualify because of their kidney illnesses," Rep. Axne said. "The issue that [...]

DPC’s Letter to Elizabeth Fowler, Deputy Administrator for CMMI

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00March 8th, 2021|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Medicare Advantage|

Ms. Elizabeth Fowler, Deputy Administrator Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation 2810 Lord Baltimore Drive Windsor Mill, MD 21244. Dear Ms. Fowler: We are seeking a bottom-up review of the ESRD Treatment Choice (ETC) demonstration including consideration of other options to pilot innovations to improve home dialysis take-up and kidney transplantation. Like other kidney advocates, we appreciated the long-overdue cabinet-level attention that was paid to these issues under the Trump administration. But, the ETC program is flawed in concept and execution, and represents a missed opportunity to address pressing problems. As explained in greater detail below, we think it would be [...]

Dori Wolf: Kidney Care
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Dori Wolf: Kidney Care

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00March 8th, 2021|Categories: Care Coordination, Patient's Voice, Spotlight|

By Dori Wolf of Woodland, CA, DPC Patient Ambassador Finding out I had kidney disease in 1984 forced me to change a lot in my life. Thankfully, due to my work to stay healthy, I was able to avoid needing dialysis until 2007. Starting dialysis was a draining experience that required drastic changes to my diet and exercise habits, despite constantly feeling unwell. However, with the support of my family, I’ve been able to follow doctors’ advice and keep up with treatments. A major frustration, however, has been a lack of coordination in my care. I have 32 allergies to [...]

DPC Advocates Advance Dialysis Patient Issues at the State Level
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DPC Advocates Advance Dialysis Patient Issues at the State Level

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00February 19th, 2021|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Medigap Coverage, Patient Ambassadors, Patient's Voice, State Advocacy, Transplant Donor Protection|

Despite the ongoing pandemic and economic crisis, many state legislators recognize the added challenges faced by dialysis patients every day. Some have responded by introducing legislation to increased dialysis patient access to Medigap plans to help patients cover their 20% coinsurance expenses. Others are working to advance legislation to help increase the pool of living kidney donors. DPC would like to recognize some of the patient leaders who are elevating the patient voice by educating state legislators on the importance of these efforts. DPC Board Members Adrian Miller and Pius Charles Murray are pressing for passage of critical legislation in their [...]

The BETTER Kidney Care Act is an important step forward
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The BETTER Kidney Care Act is an important step forward

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:12:00+00:00February 19th, 2021|Categories: Care Coordination, Patient's Voice, Spotlight|

By Bryce Mumford, DPC Patient Ambassador My experience with dialysis extends four years: from when my first kidney transplant failed in 2014 to when I received my second transplant in 2018. During that time, the most frustrating thing I encountered was a lack of care coordination. I bounced between several doctors who treated my various health issues independently. Every doctor’s visit required me to provide my full medical history, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive. This was a burdensome task while still working a full-time job to support my family. However, my treatment center began implementing greater care coordination. This meant [...]

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.

About Hannah Bracamonte

Dialysis Patient Citizens

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