DPC E-Newsletter – October 2024: Medicare Drug Plans, Baxter Hurricane Recovery Update, & PA Spotlight

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October 24, 2024

Medicare Drug Plans Are Getting Better Next Year. Some Will Also Cost More.

By Susan Jaffe
October 21, 2024

When Pam McClure learned she’d save nearly $4,000 on her prescription drugs next year, she said, “it sounded too good to be true.” She and her husband are both retired and live on a “very strict” budget in central North Dakota.

By the end of this year, she will have spent almost $6,000 for her medications, including a drug to control her diabetes.

McClure, 70, is one of about 3.2 million people with Medicare prescription drug insurance whose out-of-pocket medication costs will be capped at $2,000 in 2025 because of the Biden administration’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, according to an Avalere/AARP study.

Federal Officials Update Kidney Community on Baxter Hurricane Recovery

Officials from the US Department of Health and Human Services updated kidney care leaders on the fallout from hurricane damage to Baxter’s North Caroline plant. A representative of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response said that it is working with the FDA and Baxter to mitigate shortages of fluids for dialysis patients. The government has invoked the Defense Production Act to ensure that Baxter has the materials needed to clean up their facility.

Jamal Felton

Check out our Patient Ambassador Spotlight, where we highlight members who elevate the voices of people with kidney disease.

This month’s Spotlight is on Jamal Felton from San Diego, California.

Jamal’s father suffers from end stage renal disease (ESRD) and has been receiving dialysis for over 18 years. As his father’s part-time care giver, Jamal knows how life-consuming and exhausting dialysis treatments are for patients. Unfortunately, he has also seen how many patients struggle to keep up with the expenses that are incurred by treatment and other health care costs. Many patients rely on their employer-provided private insurance, especially during the first months of care, but dialysis treatment can make it very challenging to continue working. Since most receive their diagnosis unexpectedly, having that insurance ensures continuity of care at a time where so much else in their lives is changing.

Jamal’s father insisted that he keep his private insurance in addition to his Veteran’s Affairs coverage so that he could choose his doctor. Keeping that insurance also increased his chance of a kidney transplant.

A recent Supreme Court decision made it easier for private insurers to weaken coverage for new dialysis patients tough, pushing them onto Medicare prematurely and imposing medical and financial hurdles in the process.

Jamal urges his representatives in Congress to support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (H.R. 6860/ S. 5018), legislation that would guarantee new dialysis patients could keep full private coverage for the first 30 months of care.

Patient Ambassadors represent DPC by serving as leaders in their community and local dialysis facilities. Learn more about this critical role and make a difference in the lives of dialysis patients by applying for DPC's Patient Ambassador program.

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Each month, DPC ‘and the DPC Education Center publish stories and articles designed to keep patients and their families informed and provide resources for living well with kidney disease. Sign up to receive the Education Center’s newsletter on the 2^nd Thursday of the month and DPC’s newsletter on the 4^th Thursday of the month, straight to your inbox.

DPC E-Newsletter – October 2024: Medicare Drug Plans, Baxter Hurricane Recovery Update, & PA Spotlight

Medicare Drug Plans Are Getting Better Next Year. Some Will Also Cost More.

Federal Officials Update Kidney Community on Baxter Hurricane Recovery

Patient Ambassador Spotlight:

Jamal Felton

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