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OP-ED: New bill would help improve care for dialysis patients

2024-03-29T01:12:02+00:00October 7th, 2020|Categories: Patient Stories in the News|

My daughter’s kidneys failed when she was just 23 years old, marking the beginning of a long and difficult path on dialysis. Her treatments were incredibly straining and gradually weakened her until, about ten years ago, she had to undergo open-heart surgery because of the stress her dialysis treatments put on her circulatory system. Throughout the entire process, though, we were fortunate to work with a great medical team. My daughter’s nephrologist also handles her primary care, and works closely alongside her cardiologist to share information about her appointments and ensure that their treatments do not interfere with each other. [...]

Change is Hard – Benefits of Care Coordination vs. the Status Quo

2024-03-29T01:12:02+00:00September 30th, 2020|Categories: Patient Stories in the News|

For many patients, adjusting to life with kidney disease means change. From new diet restrictions to multiple weekly dialysis treatments, being diagnosed with kidney disease can create a sudden and difficult shift in a person’s daily lifestyle. Unfortunately, for many patients on dialysis these changes are made all the more challenging by a lack of a truly cohesive, coordinated treatment plan. Instead, patients find themselves juggling appointments, medications, and more that force them into duplicative appointments and drive up their health care costs because there is not a system in place for their doctors to easily and proactively share information [...]

DPC Hosts Successful Virtual Patient Advocacy Day

2024-03-29T01:12:02+00:00September 20th, 2020|Categories: Article, Care Coordination, Medigap Coverage, Take Action|

DPC patient activists and health care professionals from across the country met with Members of Congress and their legislative staff to advocate on behalf of dialysis patients during DPC’s Annual Advocacy Day on September 15, 2020. This was DPC's largest Annual Advocacy Day with representatives from 32 states and close to 200 virtual Congressional office meetings. It was also DPC's first virtual Advocacy Day due to the COVID-19 pandemic—all Congressional meetings were held via telephone. Advocates asked Congress to ensure all dialysis patients gain access to Medigap through passage of the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act. They also discussed the [...]

New bills offer opportunity to help Iowa dialysis patients

2024-03-29T01:12:02+00:00September 17th, 2020|Categories: Patient Stories in the News|

As we move toward the fall season, the COVID-19 pandemic still poses a major threat to people living here in Iowa, as well as others across the U.S. With public health still top-of-mind, it is important that we do everything we can to protect high-risk patients, especially those living with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). ESRD is a serious condition that requires patients to go through several hours-long dialysis treatments each week. The disease also compromises patients’ immune systems, which is particularly dangerous right now. For many ESRD patients, their risk is further heightened by the fact that they also have [...]

Letter: Do what is right for the chronically ill

2024-03-29T01:12:02+00:00September 10th, 2020|Categories: Patient Stories in the News|

I am a lifelong Oregonian and suffer from stage 5 chronic kidney disease, meaning I depend on dialysis to live. Through my treatments, I've seen first-hand the importance of coordinated care for myself and others with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Care coordination is a system where each of a patient's health care providers proactively share information with each other, including what treatments they prescribe and what follow-up care they provide. This helps improve care for the patient, especially those with ESRD, and also ultimately lowers costs for both the patient and their providers. ​ Unfortunately, many patients don't get that [...]

Action Alert – Provide ALL Dialysis Patients with Access to Medigap

2024-03-29T01:12:02+00:00September 9th, 2020|Categories: Article, Medigap Coverage, Take Action|

Jack Reynolds The Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act (H.R. 8181) was recently introduced by U.S. Representative Cynthia Axne (D-IA) in honor of DPC founding Board member and our longest serving president Jack Reynolds. This bill would require Medigap plans to offer coverage to all End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Medicare beneficiaries regardless of age. Without supplemental insurance like Medigap, Medicare patients bear significant out-of-pocket expenses for physician visits, hospital admissions, and other services they need to stay alive. Medicare has no out-of-pocket limit, unlike private insurance, and because ESRD patients under age 65 do not have access to [...]

Dialysis Patient Citizens Applauds Introduction of the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act

2024-03-29T01:12:02+00:00September 8th, 2020|Categories: Medigap Coverage, Press Release|

Jack Reynolds WASHINGTON, D.C., (September 8, 2020) -- Dialysis Patients Citizens (DPC) today applauded the introduction of the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act, new legislation sponsored by U.S. Representative Cynthia Axne (D-IA-3) in honor of founding DPC Board member and longest serving president Jack Reynolds. This bill would expand Medigap coverage for End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients under the age of 65. “My top priorities in Congress have been to protect those living with pre-existing conditions and making health care accessible for those in need of treatment,” Rep. Axne said. “For someone like Jack who had kidney [...]

DPC Comments on CMS Proposed ESRD Annual Payment Rule to Increase Dialysis Patient Quality Care

2024-03-29T01:12:03+00:00September 1st, 2020|Categories: Access to Transplant, Care Coordination, Comment Letter, Innovation, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Quality Incentive Program, Treatment Options|

Each year—typically during the summer—the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) puts out rules for how they are going to pay for dialysis treatment. The rules reflect CMS’ latest policies, and organizations have the opportunity to provide feedback about the rules before they go into effect on January 1. DPC provided feedback to CMS regarding their End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Annual Payment rule. DPC’s letter addresses the following important topics for improving ESRD patient care: Protect Access for Costlier Patients by Completing Reconsideration of Case-Mix Adjusters Protect Access for Patients in Disadvantaged Regions by Addressing Social Risk Factors Focus [...]

Advocating for dialysis patients is close to my heart

2024-03-29T01:12:03+00:00September 1st, 2020|Categories: Patient Stories in the News|

Since 2009, I have served as my father’s in-home caregiver as he undergoes dialysis treatments. In that time, we’ve had the incredible fortune of working with supportive and attentive medical staff who helped us as we learned about life with dialysis. Because of this great medical care, my father was, until a recent amputation, able to maintain an active lifestyle as a pastor and enjoy his favorite outdoor activities like fishing. However, there was a lot of work involved for me early on in the process as his caregiver, including asking the right questions during appointments, managing medications, and ensuring [...]

We Need More Better Kidney Care Act Support

2024-03-29T01:12:03+00:00August 26th, 2020|Categories: Patient Stories in the News|

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been much attention devoted to improving care for high-risk patients in Oregon and throughout the nation who have chronic health problems which hinder their ability to fight off the virus. During all of this, however, relatively little attention has been given to the difficulties faced by those with end-stage renal disease, who depend on dialysis treatments several times a week just to live. ESRD has a significant negative impact on immune systems, and many of these patients have other conditions, like diabetes, which are also especially vulnerable to the COVID virus. Unfortunately, the doctors [...]

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