NEWS & PRESS RELEASES

CMS Launches Dialysis Five Star Rankings Program Despite Numerous Flaws, Concerns Expressed By Nation’s Kidney Community

Stakeholder Groups Remain Upset Over Agency’s Rejection of Numerous Efforts to Collaborate WASHINGTON, DC – Kidney Care Partners (KCP) reiterated its concern over the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) decision to launch its five star rankings program using a methodology that distorts the actual quality performance of dialysis facilities, a concern echoed by…

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How To Cure Kidney Disease? Let’s Start by Restoring NIH Funding

Published by Roll Call Dr. Sharon Moe Jan. 22, 2015 More than 20 million Americans have kidney disease — many of whom are undiagnosed — and more than 600,000 Americans with kidney failure rely on dialysis or a transplant to remain alive. Multiple factors are at play in these staggering statistics. Diabetes, high blood pressure…

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CMS Launches Star-Rating System For Dialysis Facilities; Provider Groups Upset

Published by Bloomberg BNA Michael Williamson & Brian Broderick Jan. 22, 2015 Development: CMS adds star-rating system to the Dialysis Facility Compare website. Additional Development: CMS will be making a public call for nominations for participation in a technical expert panel for the ratings system. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Jan. 22 added…

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Statement of Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) on Release of Dialysis Facility Compare Star Ratings

Published by Dialysis Patient Citizens Jan. 22, 2015 Today for the first time consumers are able to examine the new star ratings on Dialysis Facility Compare, which after initial review only reinforces Dialysis Patient Citizens’ concern over the effectiveness of this program in its current form. For example, a dialysis patient who searches for facilities…

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Dialysis Facility Star Ratings Go Live Despite Pleas For A Delay

Published by Inside Health Policy John Wilkerson Jan. 22, 2015 Despite pleas from patients and industry for a delay, CMS on Thursday (Jan. 22) added star ratings to the Dialysis Facility Compare website. CMS said the ratings will help consumers choose high quality dialysis facilities by summarizing performance data, but patients and industry say the…

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Group Files Complaint With CMS Over Dialysis Facility Star Ratings

Published by Bloomberg BNA December 19, 2014 Development: Group files challenge with CMS about facility quality measures, saying ratings are distorted by social and demographic factors. A group representing patients has filed what it called a challenge to the CMS’s dialysis facility quality measures. Dialysis Patient Citizens announced Dec. 16 its challenge filed with the Centers…

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Providers Upset House Used Previous SGR Offsets For Non-Medicare Bill

Published by Inside Health Policy John Wilkerson December 5, 2014 Health care providers are angry the House cut pay for Medicare services by nearly $1.2 billion to offset legislation that is unrelated to Medicare and are urging the Senate to reject the offsets, two of which had previously been used to defray the cost of…

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New 5-Star Dialysis Facility Rating System To Debut

Published by Renal & Urology News Tammy Worth November 25, 2014 In January, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be rolling out its second major 5-star rating system, Dialysis Facility Compare. The site will tabulate publicly reported quality measures including transfusion rates, mortality and hospitalizations, blood calcium levels and Kt/V values to create…

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CMS Announces Final Methodology For Star Ratings of Dialysis Facilities

Published by Bloomberg BNA Brian Broderick and Michael D. Williamson November 14, 2014 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Nov. 7 its final methodology for the Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) Star Rating program. The agency also released previews of ratings to individual Medicare-participating dialysis facilities. The facilities will have 15 days to review…

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Industry, Patients United In Opposing CMS’ Dialysis Star-Rating Program

Published by Inside Health Policy John Wilkerson November 11, 2014 Dialysis facilities and patients criticized CMS on Monday (Nov. 10) for sticking to a dialysis star-rating program that they say confuses patients, makes good facilities appear to be poor performers and disadvantages facilities in poor neighborhoods. Industry and patient groups started criticizing the star-rating plan…

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