Hannah Bracamonte, Author at Dialysis Patient Citizens

Did Payment Reform Affect Patient Modality Choice?

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:28+00:00August 11th, 2016|Categories: Dialysis Funding, Improve Access to Care, Medicare Advantage, Treatment Options|

One of the main policy goals of Dialysis Patient Citizens is to Improve Access to Care. This tenet includes improving patient access to all dialysis modalities: home hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, in-center hemodialysis and transplantation. Through our annual membership survey, we’ve uncovered various barriers for patients who would like to receive home hemodialysis. Many patients are unable to receive treatments in their home because of a lack of a caregiver, which is a requirement to receive treatment. However, DPC has also uncovered that the type of insurance a patient has may affect the likelihood of whether they are informed of home dialysis [...]

ESRD Choice Act Moves out of Committee with Unanimous Support

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:28+00:00August 11th, 2016|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Care Coordination, Medicare Advantage|

Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) hailed the introduction of H.R. 5659 as the latest in a series of milestones toward opening Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. With bi-partisan introduction by Reps. Jason Smith (R-MO), John Lewis (D-GA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Tom Marino (R-PA), this legislation is a momentous step forward to providing dialysis patients increased access to insurance. “As a dialysis patient of 5 years, I am fortunate to have secondary insurance to cover what Medicare does not, however I know many patients in my facility don’t have that luxury. Providing dialysis patients access [...]

DPC Complaint to OFM re: Washington State Insurance Plans
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DPC Complaint to OFM re: Washington State Insurance Plans

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:28+00:00July 19th, 2016|Categories: Charitable Premium Assistance, Comment Letter, Innovation, Private Insurance Coverage, State Advocacy|

Re: Violations of the Medicare Secondary Payer Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1395y(b), by Washington State Health Insurance Plans Dear Ms. Parker and Ms. Dotzel: We write to bring to your attention the fact that at least three group insurers in the state of Washington are offering large plans with provisions that violate the explicit terms of the Medicare Secondary Payer Statute. These violations not only potentially subject the insurers to statutory civil monetary penalties, but render these insurers’ plans nonconforming under applicable regulations. As America's largest patient-led organization representing 29,000 dialysis patients and family members, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) strives to [...]

CMS Proposes Payment Updates for ESRD and New Policies for Quality Incentive Program (QIP)

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:29+00:00July 4th, 2016|Categories: Article, Quality Incentive Program|

Each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issue proposed rules to update payment rates under the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for renal dialysis services for the following year. On June 24, 2016, CMS proposed updates to the PPS as well as new quality measures for 2017. Notably, CMS proposed an increase to the base rate paid to dialysis facilities of $0.65 in addition to proposing increasing the home and self-dialysis training payment. In regards to quality measures, CMS proposes the inclusion of a new “Safety Measure Domain” category for 2019, which would provide data on dialysis-events including [...]

New Legislation Introduced to Improve Dialysis Patient Care

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:29+00:00July 3rd, 2016|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Care Coordination|

The Dialysis PATIENT Act (Patient Access To Integrated care, Empowerment, Nephrologists, and Treatment), S. 3090, recently introduced by Senators Heller (R-NV) and Nelson (D-FL). It follows introduction of the House version (H.R. 5506) the previous week by Reps. Young (R-IN), Blumenauer (D-OR), McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Cardenas (D-CA). The Dialysis PATIENT Act would permit dialysis organizations to accept capitated payments to cover all of an ESRD patient's Medicare expenditures in return for coordinating care for their renal disease and other comorbidities. The program would be voluntary for patients and provide access to an expanded clinical team that would “quarterback” their care. [...]

DPC Complaint to Department of Labor re: Insurance Plan Discrimination
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DPC Complaint to Department of Labor re: Insurance Plan Discrimination

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:29+00:00June 28th, 2016|Categories: Charitable Premium Assistance, Comment Letter, Innovation, Private Insurance Coverage|

The Honorable Phyllis C. Borzi Assistant Secretary Employee Benefits Security Administration United States Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave NW Washington, DC 20210 Re: Violations of Part 7 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act Relating to Health Plans’ Treatment of End-Stage Renal Disease Dear Assistant Secretary Borzi: On behalf of the 29,000 dialysis patients and family members that we serve, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) asks that the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) investigate activities some group health plans have undertaken that we believe discriminate against individuals with kidney failure in violation of Part 7 of the Employee Retirement Income Security [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds Introduction of Dialysis PATIENT Demonstration Bills

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:29+00:00June 27th, 2016|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Care Coordination, Dialysis Funding|

Bipartisan, bicameral legislation mandating a new Medicare demonstration of integrated care for ESRD patients will help spread best practices for treating this population, says beneficiary advocacy group Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC). “As an in-center hemodialysis patient of 41 years, I am well aware of the multiple health issues that a large percentage of my fellow patients have to cope with on a daily basis. Coordinating their care among health providers would lead to better outcomes for patients and reward providers for optimal care with fewer dollars spent overall,” said Jack Reynolds, DPC’s president and a dialysis patient from Carlisle, Iowa. A [...]

DPC Participates in Home Dialysis Briefing Emphasizing Current Barriers to Treatment

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:29+00:00June 6th, 2016|Categories: Improve Access to Care, Medicaid, Treatment Options|

Hrant Jamgochian, CEO of Dialysis Patient Citizens, participated in a congressional briefing sponsored by the Alliance for Home Dialysis on May 16th. DPC joined hip-hop artist David Rush, former U.S. Representative Karen Thurman, Larry Weisberg and Dr. Sue Quaggin to provide policymakers with policy options to improve access to home dialysis. DPC’s most recent membership survey indicated significant insurance barriers to access for home dialysis. However, the largest barrier for most patients was the lack of a care partner. The DPC survey found that while 74% of ESRD patients overall were informed about the option of home hemodialysis, there was an information gap [...]

DPC Files Legal Complaint with the Office of Civil Rights over Discrimination by Blue Cross Idaho

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:29+00:00June 6th, 2016|Categories: Article, Charitable Premium Assistance, Legal Defense, State Advocacy|

On behalf of kidney patients nationally, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) filed a legal complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights citing discriminatory behavior by Blue Cross Idaho (BCI) against individuals with kidney failure, a disease which disproportionately impacts minorities. The complaint involves a new BCI policy guideline, targeting policyholders with kidney failure who need three times weekly dialysis to live. Under the policy, BCI screens policyholders with kidney failure to determine how their premiums are paid and dumps individuals who receive financial assistance from the non-profit, federally approved charity, American Kidney Fund (AKF). The non-profit DPC, the nation’s [...]

DPC Complaint to the Office of Civil Rights re: Third Party Payment Assistance in Idaho

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:29+00:00May 19th, 2016|Categories: Charitable Premium Assistance, Comment Letter, Legal Defense, State Advocacy|

About Hannah Bracamonte

Dialysis Patient Citizens

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