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Letter: Medicare failed us

2024-05-10T15:08:12+00:00May 6th, 2024|Categories: Dialysis Funding, Medicare Advantage, Patient Stories in the News, Staffing Shortages|

As a program coordinator for the Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania, I have made it my life’s mission to help kidney patients manage their condition. I see or hear stories of the inadequate standards of care currently practiced at clinics, hospitals and specialist practices in this country. Many patients I talk to are frustrated and feel like they have been forgotten. We must do better. The problem lies in the lack of health care workers. A severe lack of funding makes it more difficult to hire and keep doctors, nurses and technicians. Much of the problem is demographic. With fewer [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens Issues Statement on Passing of Congressman Donald Payne Jr.

2024-04-24T20:19:10+00:00April 24th, 2024|Categories: Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, News, Policy Issues, Press Release, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

Rep. Payne Received Dialysis Treatment and Supported DPC Advocacy Efforts WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 24, 2024) - Today, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) Board President Andrew Conkling issued the following statement on the passing of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ). Rep. Payne received dialysis treatment, advocated for better care and insurance coverage for dialysis patients, and spoke at a DPC advocacy event in Washington, DC. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Congressman Payne, who was a true friend to Dialysis Patient Citizens and a tireless advocate for dialysis patients across the country,” said DPC Board President Andrew Conkling. “Despite [...]

DPC Seeks Information on Patients’ Experience With Itching

2024-04-24T16:12:21+00:00April 24th, 2024|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Increase Quality of Care, Innovation, Medicare Advantage, Treatment Options|

A couple of years ago, a new drug was approved to treat ESRD-related pruritis. Medicare approved an additional payment for the drug Korsuva for a period of 2 years. But, because of the short expiration date, very few nephrologists prescribed the medication, so even fewer dialysis facilities dispensed the drug. As a result, Korsuva never took hold to become the standard of care for pruritis. We’d like to know (1) Have experienced pruritis? (2) If so, did your clinicians tell you about Korsuva? We would like to convey patients’ experiences as we ask for Medicare to revisit coverage: what it’s like [...]

Poor care? Blame Medicare payments

2024-04-16T15:09:10+00:00April 14th, 2024|Categories: Dialysis Funding, Medicare Advantage, Patient Stories in the News, Staffing Shortages|

My husband Raymond and I met on a blind date. Three months later, his kidney unexpectedly failed, and I have walked alongside him on his patient journey ever since. My husband’s life depends on dialysis, the treatment that does what his kidney can’t do. Unfortunately, we confronted problems with our dialysis center that reflect larger trends caused by insufficient reimbursements from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Our nation is confronting a demographic crisis, with fewer working-aged people and more patients, which is why we are seeing worsening shortages of health care workers. CMS’ reimbursements have been far [...]

Reimbursement rates for health care professionals needs to be increased

2024-04-15T14:49:54+00:00April 7th, 2024|Categories: Dialysis Funding, Medicare Advantage, Patient Stories in the News, Staffing Shortages|

As a patient with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or kidney failure, I know how health care workforce shortages can affect patients. I have been on dialysis for 7 years. At the clinic where I receive dialysis – the life-saving treatment which replaces my kidney function – any staff shortage can mean the difference between a smooth treatment and chaos. America is facing a historic health care workforce crisis. Staffing challenges and high demand have led to gaps in care like longer emergency room wait times. Unfortunately, Medicare is failing to address inadequate staffing and care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid [...]

DPC Celebrates 20th Anniversary

2024-04-24T16:16:22+00:00April 1st, 2024|Categories: About DPC, Advance Patient Choice, Article, Get Involved, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Patient Ambassadors, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

Since our founding 20 years ago, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) has had the privilege of working with amazing advocates to help elevate the patient voice with policy makers to improve their quality of life. At our upcoming Advocacy Day Conference, May 5 – 7, 2024, we are excited to: honor the incredible work of our patient advocates; thank key Congressional Champions; and recognize some of our kidney community allies. Advocates from across the country will also take their stories to Capitol Hill to advocate for additional patient protections. To all of our patient advocates, family members, care partners, and kidney community [...]

The Trouble With Bundles

2024-03-29T01:09:12+00:00February 19th, 2024|Categories: Increase Quality of Care, Innovation|

This op-ed was written by Jackson Williams, DPC Vice President of Public Policy, and originally published on AMJC's website: www.ajmc.com/view/contributor-the-trouble-with-bundles. Payment bundling is a technique aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing low-value care during a treatment episode.In recent years, it has expanded from prospective payment systems (PPS) centered upon a discrete treatment to encompass broader episodes of care surrounding such treatments. For the most part, policymakers and patient advocates have viewed these bundles as a benign form of cost containment. But a spate of new developments—including evaluation reports relating to CMMI Institute episode-based payment demonstrations and stories of patients unable to [...]

DPC Recognizes Patients and Dialysis Staff as Part of its 20th Anniversary Celebration

2024-03-29T01:09:12+00:00February 14th, 2024|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Get Involved, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Patient Ambassadors, Promote Financial Security|

In January, DPC kicked off a year-long 20th Anniversary celebration by recognizing one of our outstanding patient advocates, and thanked dialysis facility staff who go above “the extra mile” to provide exceptional care, even in the face of recent staffing shortages. Gene Blankenship was the recipient of DPC’s inaugural Patient Advocacy Champion Award for his work in advocating for dialysis patients with his elected officials. DPC also awarded its inaugural Dialysis Dynamo awards to Amanda Byrd, AA/CCHT, Alicia Caldwell, RN, CDN, Sean Scearce, PA, and Marcy Stites, RN, for their hard work providing 5-star quality care for an underserved, rural community [...]

2024 Advocacy Day – 24 Hours Left to Apply!

2024-03-29T01:09:12+00:00January 25th, 2024|Categories: Advance Patient Choice, Article, Get Involved, Improve Access to Care, Increase Quality of Care, Patient Ambassadors, Policy Issues, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care, Take Action|

Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) will host our 20th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Congressional Advocacy Day May 6-7, 2024. Participants will be selected based on the quality of their applications, legislative priorities, and previous involvement in DPC's advocacy efforts. We will hold a training session ahead of our congressional meeting for those participating to explain the process and review our current legislative “asks.” The application period is open until January 26, 2024. We just ask that you tell us a little about yourself and why you think you would be a good candidate for this incredible opportunity. We will make a decision [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds New Legislation Restoring Protections for Dialysis Patients

2024-03-29T01:09:15+00:00December 20th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis Funding, Medicare Advantage, News, Press Release, Private Insurance Coverage, Promote Financial Security, Protect Patient Care|

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 20, 2023) -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), the leading advocacy organization for dialysis patients nationwide, today released the following statement applauding the introduction of the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act by Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Yvette Clark (D-NY), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Danny Davis (D-IL), John Joyce (R-PA), and Raul Ruiz (D-CA) to restore access to critical health insurance coverage for patients who choose it. “We applaud Representatives Kelly, Clark, Dunn, Davis, Joyce, and Ruiz for standing with dialysis patients by introducing this critical legislation,” said DPC Board President Andrew Conkling. “For decades, many patients have relied [...]

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