NEWS ARTICLES

Published by Morning Consult Six years ago, I and many others who have made our careers in health care policy cheered the Affordable Care Act being enacted into law. Though the ACA has proven to be a highly partisan issue, one important part of the law has consistently received wide support across the aisle —…

Published by Bloomberg BNA People suffering from end-stage renal disease would be allowed to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans under one of three health-care related bills passed by the House Sept. 21. Included in the three bills are provisions lifting Medicare regulations that prohibit end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients from enrolling in Medicare Advantage and…

Published by Nephrology News & Issues The U.S. House has passed the ESRD Choice Act of 2016 (H.R. 5659). The bill, introduced in July by Representatives Jason Smith, R-Mo., John Lewis, D-Ga., Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., and Tom Marino, R-Pa., would remove current government rules and restrictions that prevent end-stage renal disease patients from participating…

Published by The Hill Congress Blog For years, health insurance companies systematically denied coverage to Americans with pre-existing medical conditions. As a result, those who needed coverage the most—people with severe and chronic conditions—were unable to buy insurance or were charged exorbitant premiums that were equivalent to a denial of insurance. Today, insurers can no…

The last few years have been rough when it comes to Congressional bipartisanship, with the two parties fighting each other tooth and nail over the most basic legislation. Yet the other day I witnessed a rare moment of comity as the House Ways and Means Committee approved two health-care bills with universal support. The first…

The House Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday (July 13) passed two Medicare bills: one that lets kidney-failure patients enroll in Medicare Advantage, and another that again delays the so-called 25 percent rule for long-term care hospitals and that narrowly exempts four types of LTCHs from site-neutral pay measures. Kidney patient advocates praised the committee…

Patients suffering from end-stage renal disease would have the ability to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans under a bipartisan bill (H.R 5659) approved by a House panel July 13. Under current Medicare regulations, end-stage renal disease patients are prohibited from enrolling in Medicare Advantage. The House Ways and Means Committee also approved H.R. 5713, known…

Managing a serious personal health condition can feel like a full time job – one that is highly complex in nature, with no days off, and little room for error. For Americans with kidney failure – also known as End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) – managing health is, in fact, one of the most daunting challenges…

On July 8, Representatives Jason Smith, R-Missouri, John Lewis, D-Ga., Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., introduced legislation that would give end-stage renal disease patients the choice to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans.  H.R. 5659, the “Expanding Seniors Receiving Dialysis’ Choice Act of 2016,” or ESRD Choice Act, would remove current government rules and…

Published by The Hill Congress Blog Written by Rep. Tom Marino April 8, 2016 All too often, national health crises present confounding dilemmas with no clear, obtainable solutions. When faced with terrible diseases that cannot be cured, frightening epidemics that reach our shores, or illnesses that defy previously successful treatments, healthcare providers and policymakers suffer…