Public/Private Health Partnerships Are Lifesavers
Published by TownHall President Donald Trump’s decision to end cost-sharing reduction payments to insurance companies, a controversial expenditure never authorized or appropriated by Congress, has set off a series of moves in the marketplace that leaves healthcare providers and consumers more confused than ever before. Whether or not you believe these subsidies were a good…
Renal Care Facilities Get Small 2018 Medicare Pay Raise
Published by Bloomberg BNA Facilities that provide kidney dialysis services will receive a Medicare pay boost of 0.5 percent in 2018, but that is less than what the Medicare agency proposed earlier this year. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in a final rule (RIN:0938-AT04) issued Oct. 27, increased payments to end-stage renal disease…
Bill that would expand telehealth options for home dialysis patients passes Senate
Published by Nephrology News On Sept. 26, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act of 2017 (S.870). The bill, introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in April, includes a section that expands the ability of Medicare beneficiaries on home dialysis to receive…
Let Health Insurance Be Insurance
Published by Forbes Written By Dr. Wayne Winegarden One of the many flaws with our current health care system is that, too often, health insurance coverage fails people precisely when they need it the most. It’s as if your car insurance has been paying the cost for your oil changes for years, but won’t pay the…
America’s kidney disease epidemic merits congressional attention
Published by The Hill Written By Dr. Eleanor D. Lederer When a young Dutchman named Dr. Willem Kolff began developing the first artificial kidney in the 1930s, anyone suffering from kidney failure faced almost certain death. Over the next 30 years, however, Kolff – along with several other notable scientists – successfully developed an artificial…
Roberts, Jenkins lead legislation to help dialysis centers
Published by The Wichita Eagle Kansans are leading the charge to decrease waiting times for dialysis provider accreditation. U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts introduced the legislation Thursday. U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, of Kansas’ 2nd District, had earlier introduced companion legislation in the House that passed unanimously as part of a broader Medicare package. The Dialysis Access…
House Passes Medicare Part B Improvement Act
Published by Inside Health Policy The House on Tuesday (July 25) passed the Medicare Part B Improvement Act by voice vote, and the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) urges the the upper chamber to swiftly pass the bipartisan legislation. The wide-ranging bill, introduced by House Ways & Means Chair Kevin Brady (R-TX) and ranking Democrat Richard…
Expanding access, supporting research and sustaining Medicare for individuals with Kidney Disease
Published by The Hill Congress Blog Written by Rep. Tom Marino Though our nation, and our politics, has become increasingly divided over the years, there are some issues that still unite both sides of the aisle. Caring for Americans living with kidney disease and kidney failure has been one of those unifying issues. These health…
Collaboration key in winning NQF endorsement for medication management measure
Published by Nephrology News & Issues by Dr. Allen R. Nissenson and Dr. Edward R. Jones Since its inception, the Kidney Care Quality Alliance (KCQA) has brought together key stakeholders from across the kidney care community to develop meaningful, evidence-based measures that will lead to positive patient outcomes, drive better provider performance, and lower health…