The Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research & Treatment Act
The Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act (H.R. 5027/S. 4469) sets the stage for the future of kidney care. Representatives Carol Miller (R-WV) and Terri Sewell (D-AL) re-introduced the bill in the House of Representatives on July 28, 2023 and Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for re-introduced the bill in the Senate on June 5, 2024. If passed, this legislation support efforts to prevent and better understand chronic kidney disease (CKD) by ensuring appropriate reimbursement for quality care and improve patient access to the best drugs, technology and innovations along the kidney care continuum.
The legislation would:
- Boost kidney disease prevention efforts by adding CKD screening to the annual wellness benefit to allow Medicare beneficiaries at risk for kidney disease or kidney failure to screen for the disease and seek treatment to slow the progression if diagnosed.
- Expand access to education resources by expanding the Medicare Kidney Disease Education benefit to allow dialysis facilities to provide kidney disease education services and offer services to Medicare beneficiaries with Stage 5 CKD who are not yet on dialysis.
- Incentivize innovation by requiring the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide a long-term payment pathway for new drugs, biologics, devices, or other technologies.
- Develop a sustainable dialysis infrastructure and address the workforce crisis by ensuring that kidney care providers receive accurate annual payment updates and fostering the nephrology pipeline by including nephrologists and non-physician practitioners in the National Health Service Corp loan forgiveness program.
- Expand patient choice and coverage by guaranteeing access to Medigap policies for Medicare beneficiaries with kidney failure.
Learn more about the CKD Improvement in Research & Treatment Act:
