Hannah Bracamonte, Author at Dialysis Patient Citizens

DPC Sends Comment Letter on Chronic Care Working Group Document

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:30+00:00February 11th, 2016|Categories: Care Coordination, Medicare Advantage|

A document released by the Senate Chronic Care Working Group in December contains several policy proposals for the care of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. DPC’s most recent e-newsletter outlined the proposal’s topics, which include opening Medicare Advantage plans to dialysis patients, and making Special Needs Plans permanent to better coordinate care. DPC recently submitted a letter commenting on these proposals. DPC supports the proposal to allow ESRD patients to enroll in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans without restrictions. Current guidelines prevent ESRD patients enrolled in traditional Medicare to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans. DPC encourages the working group to share comments they may receive [...]

DPC Encourages Participation in 2016 Primary Elections

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:30+00:00February 11th, 2016|Categories: Article, Take Action|

While the November presidential election is still months away, DPC encourages its members to participate in the caucuses and primaries in your state. These elections help to shape the ultimate contest in November for President, Members of Congress, as well as for state and local office holders. To be eligible to vote, a person must be a United States citizen, at least 18 years old, and meet his or her state residency requirements. Many states offer absentee ballots that voters can send through the mail. For more information on your state guidelines for voter registration, absentee ballots and more, visit the [...]

Is This the Future of ESRD Care? A New Program Goes the Extra Mile for Dialysis Patients

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:30+00:00February 1st, 2016|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Care Coordination|

By, Jackson Williams, Government Affairs Director for Dialysis Patient Citizens For more than a decade, officials in Washington, DC have been experimenting with ways to reorganize Medicare to deliver better care at lower costs. Several of these “demonstration projects” have involved ESRD patients. Now, the largest such program for dialysis patients has kicked off at 13 locations across the U.S. It’s called the ESRD Seamless Care Organization, or “ESCO,” model. This article describes what one of these projects, Philadelphia-Camden Integrated Kidney Care, is doing to improve care for its patients. Philadelphia-Camden Integrated Kidney Care covers about 2,000 patients at DaVita clinics in the [...]

DPC Submits Comments to Chronic Care Working Group Re: Medicare Advantage

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:30+00:00January 25th, 2016|Categories: Comment Letter, Medicare Advantage|

Hon. Johnny Isakson Hon. Mark Warner United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Re: Comments to the Chronic Care Working Group Dear Senators Isakson and Warner: As America’s largest patient-led organization representing persons with end-stage renal disease, with over 28,000 members, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) works to improve quality of life for dialysis patients through education and advocacy. We are grateful to the Working Group for its focus on how chronic illness care could be improved for patients with ESRD. As you know, ESRD patients represent a small portion of Medicare beneficiaries but a disproportionately large percentage of Medicare expenditures. Much [...]

Paper from Senate Group Focuses on Improving Access to Healthcare

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:30+00:00January 19th, 2016|Categories: Article, Care Coordination, Improve Access to Care, Medicare Advantage|

A recent document released by the Senate Chronic Care Working Group contains several policy proposals relating to the care of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The working group was formed last year under by Senate Finance Committee as a way to explore potential bipartisan policy changes to improve health care. DPC was pleased to see that committee discuss many of our our policy priorities including: dialysis patient access to Medicare Advantage Plans, Telehealth for dialysis patients and the desire to make the successful Special Needs Plans permanent to better coordinate care for dialysis patients. Currently, patients who are eligible for [...]

DPC Mourns the Loss of Board Member
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DPC Mourns the Loss of Board Member

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:30+00:00January 19th, 2016|Categories: Article, Board Members|

Dialysis Patient Citizens was saddened to learn of the recent passing of board member Nance Lehman. Nance was a tremendous advocate for ESRD patient across the country and especially in her home state of Montana. Nance met with legislators in Washington D.C. on numerous occasions and was known to move legislative staff with her compelling stories. Most recently, Nance represented the patient perspective as a voting representative of Kidney Care Partners (KCP). Nance was committed to creating a better policy environment for ESRD patients across the country. Her contributions to Dialysis Patient Citizens will always be remembered, and the kidney [...]

2015 Year in Review

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:30+00:00January 19th, 2016|Categories: 5-Star Ratings, Access to Transplant, Article, Care Coordination, Charitable Premium Assistance, Dialysis Funding, Innovation, Medicare Advantage|Tags: Annual Accomplishments|

Happy New Year! In 2015, DPC leadership and its strong patient advocacy efforts at the state level fought to: prevent dramatic cuts to dialysis funding in Alabama and Illinois and preserve charity payments for dialysis patient premiums. Other highlights include: The opportunity for DPC CEO Hrant Jamgochian and board member Bob Lee to testify in front of the Oregon insurance commissioner on the discriminatory language found in two private insurance plans that would limit coverage for ESRD patients. The commissioner ruled against the language. DPC board member Danny Iniguez discussed health disparities in kidney disease at the National Black Caucus [...]

DPC Urges CMS to Prioritize Patient Access

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:30+00:00January 19th, 2016|Categories: Access to Transplant, Care Coordination, Charitable Premium Assistance, Medicare Advantage, Medigap Coverage, Transportation Services|Tags: Health Insurance Exchange|

Last month, DPC sent a letter commenting on the “Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2017” proposed rule. This annual rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) contains proposed changes to the exchange plan coverage of the Affordable Care Act. DPC’s letter focuses on the importance of insurance coverage and network quality for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. One issue the letter comments on pertains to network adequacy. Network adequacy describes an insurance plan’s ability to provide a sufficient amount of in-network providers to subscribers in the plan. Suggestions to improve network adequacy include requiring all [...]

RE: CMS–9937–P: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2017

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:31+00:00December 21st, 2015|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Charitable Premium Assistance, Comment Letter, Improve Access to Care|Tags: Health Insurance Exchange|

Andrew Slavitt Acting AdministratorCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services 7500 Security BoulevardBaltimore, MD 21244RE: CMS–9937–P: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2017Dear Acting Administrator Slavitt,On behalf of the more than 430,000 patients who rely upon dialysis services, we appreciate the opportunity to comment on the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2017” Proposed Rule (Proposed Rule). We strongly encourage the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to protect the rights of all Americans to access coverage in the Marketplaces, consistent with the Affordable Care [...]

Medicaid-Eligible Dialysis Patients Not Fully Informed of Treatment Options, Survey Finds

Hannah Bracamonte2024-03-29T01:50:31+00:00December 11th, 2015|Categories: Article, Medicaid, Treatment Options|

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who receive Medicaid are less likely to be informed of home modality and transplantation options than patients covered by Medicare or commercial insurance, according to survey research DPC released earlier this month. DPC recently partnered with Baxter to facilitate a panel discussing these disparities at the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) Conference in Los Angeles, California. The DPC survey found that while about 74 percent of ESRD patients overall are informed about the option of home hemodialysis, there is an information gap of 17 percentage points between patients covered by Medicare (77%) and Medicaid [...]

About Hannah Bracamonte

Dialysis Patient Citizens

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