Dialysis Reimbursements Stabilized by Protecting Access to Medicare Act
This week President Obama signed the Protecting Access to Medicare Act, which contained some provisions favorable to dialysis patients. The primary purpose of the legislation was to stabilize Medicare payments to physicians, but Congress also used the opportunity to stabilize reimbursements to dialysis facilities. A large cut that had been scheduled to take effect in 2016 has been replaced by smaller, fixed-amount cuts that afford providers more certainty about revenues in coming years. This new payment formula will encourage providers to renew expiring leases on dialysis facilities and continue to invest in improved kidney care infrastructure. Another provision further delays addition [...]
DPC Advocates Fly to Washington for 2014 World Kidney Fly-in
DPC advocates flew to Washington, DC for our 2014 World Kidney Day Fly-in. Twenty-six patients and family members were joined by 19 provider representatives from 24 states. Advocates conducted 94 meetings with Members of Congress and their staff. This year, we asked Congress to protect funding for the Medicare ESRD program and to open Medicare Part C to people on dialysis. Take a look at these pictures for the full story. The patients in the these pictures are our most active Patient Ambassadors. If you are interested in becoming a strong advocate for people with kidney disease, join the Patient Ambassador program! [...]
Patient Outcry Draws a Two-Year Reprieve From Dialysis Cuts
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acknowledged patient concerns by delaying for two years its planned cut to the Medicare End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program. The Medicare agency’s decision didn’t give dialysis patients everything we asked for, but it does mean that nearly $2 billion slated to be cut from kidney care in 2014 and 2015 will remain available to treat patients. However, it also means that patient advocates must be vigilant for any signs that access to care is shrinking as providers anticipate cuts now scheduled to take effect in 2016. The Medicare ruling came in the [...]
CMS Releases Final Rule on 9.4% Cut to Medicare ESRD Program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just released a final rule on the proposed 9.4% cut to dialysis funding. The final rule made the following changes: The payment rate for dialysis services will remain the same in 2014 and 2015. The proposed 12% cut to dialysis was delayed until 2016 and will be phased in over 4 years. There will be a 50% increase in the home dialysis training payment. In response, DPC released the following statement: DPC appreciates the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) acknowledgment of patient concerns in delaying implementation of its proposed cut to [...]
Dialysis Advocates Oppose Cuts in Washington, DC
We still need your help letting your Members of Congress know that you strongly disagree with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid's (CMS) proposed 9.4% cut to dialysis treatment funding. Earlier this month we had an extremely successful Fly-In here in Washington, DC. A Fly-In, if you aren't familiar with the term, is a focused event that invites individuals to Washington, DC, to meet with key elected officials on Capitol Hill who need to be informed on a specific issue by the people who are personally impacted. Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), American Kidney Fund (AKF) and Renal Support Network (RSN) welcomed [...]
Stop the Cuts to Dialysis Treatment Reimbursement
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency responsible for Medicare, just released a regulation that proposes to reduce Medicare funding for dialysis treatments by 9.4%. Please take a few moments to express your outrage to your Members of Congress. Otherwise, they will assume that the cuts are not harmful. If you would like to express your concern to your members of Congress electronically, simply follow the links in the flyer. If you would like to send a physical letter to your members of Congress contact DPC at (866)-877-4242 to receive our sample letter and your legislators' contact information. Ask your [...]
CMS Proposes Devastating Cuts to Dialysis Payments
URGENT: Protect your dialysis care! Urge your Members of Congress to prevent a kidney care crisis! The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just released a regulation that proposes to reduce Medicare funding for dialysis treatments by 9.4%. The American Taxpayers Relief Act (the fiscal cliff deal) mandated CMS to adjust the price it pays for dialysis to reflect the recent change in usage of certain anemia management drugs. However, no one in the kidney community expected CMS to propose such a dramatic and potentially devastating cut. Please take a few moments to express your outrage to your Members of [...]