Kidney Care Partners (KCP) is a coalition of more than 25 organizations, comprised of patient advocates, dialysis professionals, care providers, researchers, and manufacturers, dedicated to working together to improve quality of care for individuals with kidney diseases. Today, KCP members are asking members of Congress to:
1. Delay the Inclusion of Oral-Only Medications in the ESRD Payment Bundle
Patients living with kidney failure often require medication to manage phosphate levels. Currently, they can access these medications at their local pharmacy but an upcoming policy change from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would instead require dialysis providers to distribute these medications. Given that these drugs must be taken multiple times per day, typically with meals, KCP is concerned about the impact this change will have on maintaining patient access to care as well as the ability of providers to establish the infrastructure needed to support this policy in time. We urge Congress to delay the inclusion of the payment for oral phosphate-binding medication into the End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System for two years.
Supporting Materials:
One-Pager: Delay Incorporating Oral-Only Drugs into the ESRD PPS
2. Support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act
In the Marietta v. DaVita decision, the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSPA) in a manner that removed the previous Congressional protection against plans discriminating against individuals with kidney failure who require dialysis. To address this issue, bipartisan members of the House of Representatives have introduced the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act (H.R. 6860) to protect patient choice for those living with kidney failure.
3. Co-Sponsor the Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act (H.R. 5027/S.4469)
This legislation seeks to protect and improve access to new therapies by creating important long-term pathways for innovation in the ESRD PPS, requiring that the bundle be adjusted to include the cost of adding new drugs, biologics, devices, or other technologies and ensuring that Medicare Advantage plans also support the uptake of innovative therapies. The legislation would also prioritize early kidney disease detection and screening, support the kidney care workforce and require additional study of transplantation rates and barriers to kidney transplants.
Supporting Materials:
Legislation Section by Section
4. Join the Kidney Caucus
The bipartisan Congressional Kidney Caucus has served as an informal group of bipartisan members dedicated to educating members of Congress and the American people about issues related to kidney health.