Hannah Bracamonte, Author at Dialysis Patient Citizens

California Lawmakers Considering Bill That Would Close Dialysis Centers
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California Lawmakers Considering Bill That Would Close Dialysis Centers

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:38+00:00July 19th, 2018|Categories: Article, Dialysis Funding, State Advocacy|

State legislators in California continue to consider legislation, which we believe would harm dialysis patients by ultimately limiting their access to their life-saving treatment. This legislation, which is being pushed by the labor union, Service Employees International Union, would cut reimbursement rates for patients on private insurance to Medicare/Medi-Cal levels, which are already below the actual cost of care. This will cause many facilities across California to close and leave patients scrambling to find their needed care. Last month, we were able to get almost 16,000 people in California to reach out to their state legislator in opposition to this proposal [...]

Annual Medicare ESRD Rule Highlights Innovation and “Meaningful Measures”
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Annual Medicare ESRD Rule Highlights Innovation and “Meaningful Measures”

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:39+00:00July 16th, 2018|Categories: Article, Innovation, Quality Incentive Program|

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed what they called “innovative changes” to the payment rule for the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program. The rule includes a “proposal to address new renal dialysis drug and biological costs and foster innovations in treatment by incentivizing new therapies for patients on dialysis and a proposal to reduce facility-related documentation burden.” It contains the first changes to the ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP) since last year’s announcement of CMS’ “Meaningful Measures” Initiative. Funding for Dialysis The proposed 2019 ESRD base rate is $235.82, an increase of $3.45 to the current [...]

Researchers and Journalists Call Out Poorly Performing Organ Procurement Organizations
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Researchers and Journalists Call Out Poorly Performing Organ Procurement Organizations

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:39+00:00July 16th, 2018|Categories: Access to Transplant, Article|

Recent research and journalism has highlighted significant variations in the ability of regional Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) to obtain donor organs for transplants. An analysis by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania rated 35 of 58 OPOs, and identified the best performers among them the OPOs serving Utah and Southern Idaho; Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware; the Finger Lakes region of New York; Wisconsin; and Nebraska. The poorest performing were those serving the New York City region; Southern California; Kentucky; and North Carolina. The New York City OPO’s poor performance was highlighted in a New York Times article last week. [...]

Facts About the Dialysis De-Funding Campaign in California

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:39+00:00April 26th, 2018|Categories: Charitable Premium Assistance, Dialysis Funding, State Advocacy|

The Dialysis De-Funding Campaign is sponsored by two labor unions that seek to represent workers at dialysis clinics. Rather than try to unionize dialysis facility employees through elections, they are trying to punish dialysis providers through policies that cost them financially in order to gain voluntary recognition. The three cutback proposals are likely to affect access to care by leading to facility closures, restricting access to private insurance, and decreasing services available from facilities. The Dialysis De-Funding Campaign consists of three measures: Senate Bill 349: Regulates staffing and patient shifts at dialysis clinics. If requirements are not met because a worker [...]

Media Coverage Increases on Kidney Health
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Media Coverage Increases on Kidney Health

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:39+00:00April 10th, 2018|Categories: Article, Care Coordination|

Kidney Month has passed yet the coverage on kidney health is continuing well into April. DPC is pleased to report the publication of several letters to the editor in response to our advocacy day in support of the Dialysis PATIENTS Act. Our advocates have been published in the states of Washington, Alabama, Kansas and New Hampshire with many more pending publication. This continued media coverage is a great step toward moving this legislation across the finish line to help countless dialysis patients across the country. Andrew Conkling – AL: http://www.thearabtribune.com/mountain_views/writer-urges-congress-to-support-legislation/article_788c24ca-377c-11e8-9817-970f8e059ab5.html Adrian Miller – WA: http://www.columbian.com/news/2018/apr/03/letter-focus-care-upon-patients/ Pius Murray – NH: http://www.fosters.com/news/20180405/to-editor-support-for-dialysis-patients-act Mike Guffey – KS: https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article208195579.html [...]

Kidney Month Wrap Up

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:39+00:00April 10th, 2018|Categories: Article, What is Kidney Disease?|

This year World Kidney Day was also on International Women’s day. Global organizers took this as an opportunity to focus on women’s health and kidney disease. It’s only appropriate that we feature three courageous women who shared their story with media to spread awareness of kidney disease. Joyce Lane from Tennessee shared her story of living with Bright’s disease, also known as glomerulonephritis, a condition where the kidney’s glomeruli (filters) are damaged and unable to adequately clean waste from the blood. This condition is inherited and Joyce is one of seven members in her family to be afflicted. Joyce and [...]

DPC Hosts Successful Advocacy Day
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DPC Hosts Successful Advocacy Day

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:39+00:00April 10th, 2018|Categories: Article, Care Coordination|Tags: Advocacy Day|

It was a cold and rainy Tuesday, when dialysis patients, family members and healthcare providers descended on Capitol Hill to meet with legislators about expanding coordinated care efforts. This was a record setting year for the advocacy day, beginning with the application process which saw over 150 applicants and ending with the number of meetings held, 142. This was the largest patient advocacy day DPC has hosted since September 2013 in response to the drastic proposed funding cuts for dialysis. The weekend was very busy, but our advocates were energetic and determined to have their voices heard by lawmakers. Their [...]

Spending Bill Ensures Dialysis Patients Can Access Life-Saving Care

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:39+00:00February 9th, 2018|Categories: Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Press Release, Promote Financial Security|

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Advocates for dialysis patients are pleased that the federal spending bill which funds the government through March 23rd includes several provisions that will help people with kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), gain access to life-extending dialysis treatments. The bill includes language from the Medicare Part B Improvement Act of 2017 (H.R. 3178), which was introduced July 7 of last year by Reps. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Richard Neal (D-Mass.), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Committee. The language permits health care providers to utilize data from home dialysis [...]

Dialysis PATIENTS Act Update

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:39+00:00January 11th, 2018|Categories: Article, Charitable Premium Assistance, Take Action|

It’s a New Year but our work to expand integrated care is far from complete! The Dialysis PATIENTS Act has soared to 142 co-sponsors, which is more than double the number of co-sponsors for the previous version of this legislation in 2016. This overwhelming support, coupled with recent data on the success of the ESRD Seamless Care Organizations signals the readiness to expand integrated care programs for dialysis patients nationwide. If you haven’t sent messages to your Members of Congress, there is still time! Please take a moment today to send a message and help continue our momentum toward improving care [...]

Record Number of Applicants for our 2018 Advocacy Day

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:13:39+00:00January 11th, 2018|Categories: Article, Get Involved, Take Action|

Before the holidays, we opened our application for our 2018 Advocacy Day. It is apparent that advocacy is part of many ESRD patients’ New Year’s resolutions because we received almost 150 applications to attend our advocacy day! This is a record number of interested members willing to have their voice heard by legislators on behalf of ESRD patients across the nation. If you missed the deadline, but advocacy is still a part of your New Year’s resolutions there are still ways to get involved! Visit our kidney action center to send messages to your Members of Congress on issues affecting kidney [...]

About Hannah Bracamonte

Dialysis Patient Citizens

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