Congress, the administration, and kidney care community must further improve care for 30 million Americans
March is National Kidney Month, a perfect time to reflect on the progress made in kidney care and efforts to advance that success to the next level. The challenge facing individuals with kidney diseases requires a united effort from Congress, the Administration, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the kidney care community. Fortunately, the…
Azar: Incentives For Center-Based Dialysis Need To Change
HHS Secretary Alex Azar indicated Monday (March 4) that HHS hopes to change incentives for home dialysis and transplants, as he said the system is leading dialysis companies to keep from helping patients find or prep for a transplant and to not give patients the best options for care in the home. However, Kidney Care…
New kidney research initiatives unveiled at Capitol Hill summit
Published by Nephrology News & Issues A recent gathering of health care agencies and kidney care advocacy groups on Capitol Hill helped to launch some new initiatives for improving kidney care in the future. The Congressional Kidney Care Caucus, a group of legislators who have an interest in kidney care issues, hosted the event in…
Restricting third-party payments discriminates against patients on dialysis
Published by Healio Kidney disease has a frightening way of leveling the playing field – rich, poor, black or white, no one plans for the eventuality of losing the function of an essential organ. Although we know certain demographic groups are affected more frequently than others, for the most part, CKD and kidney failure are…
HHS Announces First KidneyX Prize Competition
Published by Inside Health Policy HHS on Friday (Sep. 28) announced about $2.6 million in prize money for the KidneyX: Redesign Dialysis competition, and Ed Simcox, HHS chief technology officer, said at a briefing that the while the prize competition can encourage innovation, coordination between FDA and CMS to improve patient access will also be…
Congress has a chance to improve insurance options for people with kidney failure and help fund opioid crisis treatment
Published by The Hill Taking a powerful jab at two devastating health crises at one time seems like a smart move. Kidney disease threatens the lives of more than 703,000 Americans with kidney failure—an 80 percent increase since 2000. With more than 10,000 new patients diagnosed with kidney failure every single month, 495,000 Americans on dialysis, and 208,000…
Azar Meets With Kidney Care Partners To Discuss New Reimbursement Paths
Published by Inside Health Policy HHS Secretary Alex Azar met with kidney disease advocates on Wednesday (June 13) to discuss a potential shift in reimbursement policy, which providers have said doesn’t currently cover the cost of providing kidney care in Medicare. Kidney Care Partners, which includes providers, those providing charitable assistance, patients and drug makers,…
Innovation Renews Hope for Patients with Kidney Disease
Published By MedPage Today by Crystal A. Gadegbeku, MD, FASN Forty million Americans are living with kidney diseases and 700,000 have kidney failure — a majority of whom depend on Medicare end-stage renal disease (ESRD) benefit for life-preserving medical care. While millions of lives are impacted by kidney-related illnesses, the United States, through unintended consequences…
Despite skyrocketing incidence of kidney disease and kidney failure, government investment remains inadequate
Published by The Hill It stands to reason that with the enormous improvements in health care technology, diagnostics and drug therapies over the past several decades, Americans should be much better off – and healthier – than they were just 25 years ago. But even as health outcomes have improved overall, our nation is rapidly…
ASN, HHS collaborate to launch KidneyX research effort
Published by Healio The American Society of Nephrology has signed a memorandum of understanding with the HHS to establish the Kidney Innovation Accelerator, also known as KidneyX, research program. Both groups hope that KidneyX will spur the development and commercialization of innovative technologies and therapeutics in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases. “By…