Celebrate National Kidney Month by Supporting Bipartisan Kidney Care Legislation
Roll Call By Rep. Tom Marino Approximately 50 years ago, kidney failure was a death sentence. Even considering that fact is unnerving. Today, more than 600,000 Americans are living with kidney failure — and a large majority of those lives are sustained by life-saving dialysis treatments. That’s hundreds of thousands of lives that would have…
Kidney Community Lauds Bi-Partisan, Bicameral Legislation to Improve Care Coordination, Expand Choice, and Enhance Research for Millions with Kidney Disease, Kidney Failure
Complementary bills introduced by Senators Ben Cardin, Mike Crapo and Bill Nelson, Representatives Tom Marino, John Lewis and Peter Roskam, would improve lives of kidney patients WASHINGTON, DC – Kidney Care Partners (KCP) today praised the bicameral introduction of “The Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act” (H.R. 1130, S. 598), a bipartisan…
Kidney Care Partners gives recommendations for 5-star rating expert panel
Published by Nephrology News & Issues Feb. 25, 2015 On Feb. 13, the Kidney Care Partners sent recommendations for the ESRD Five Star Technical Expert Panel in a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Marilyn Tavenner. “Kidney Care Partners would like to work with your team and the TEP to identify ways…
Coalition Wants CMS to Make Changes To Dialysis Facilities’ Star Ratings
Published by Bloomberg BNA Michael D. Williamson Feb. 18, 2015 A coalition of dialysis providers, patient advocates and drug companies recently urged the CMS to change the rating system used on the agency’s Dialysis Facility Compare website. The coalition, known as Kidney Care Partners, provided recommendations in its Feb. 13 letter for the agency’s end-stage renal…
CMS updates Dialysis Facility Compare star ratings page to include disclaimer
Published by Nephrology News & Issues Rebecca Zumoff Jan. 29, 2015 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated its Dialysis Facility Compare star ratings information pageto include disclaimer language about low ratings. After CMS launched the program Jan. 22, Dialysis Patient Citizens expressed disappointment that the agency did not follow through on its…
Did CMS Adequately Collaborate with Stakeholders Before Launching Dialysis Star Ratings?
Published by Bloomberg BNA Michael Williamson Jan. 22, 2015 At least two groups representing the dialysis community don’t seem to think so. Kidney Care Partners (KCP), which represents patient advocates, dialysis professionals, care providers and product manufacturers, and Dialysis Patient Citizens, an advocacy group for people needing dialysis treatment, separately criticized the Centers for Medicare…
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…
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…
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…
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…