More than 10 years later, it is time to rethink the ESRD payment bundle
The Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease program started 50 years ago with an amendment to the Social Security Act of 1972. Coverage under Medicare was unique and gave hope to thousands of patients with end-stage kidney disease and an opportunity to live on dialysis or receive a kidney transplant without financial burden. Click here to see…
The medical ‘heroes’ who help save the lives of kidney-dialysis patients when massive storms hit the US
On Christmas Day 2022, while most residents in upstate New York were getting ready to enjoy the festivities, Michael Sloma was on a mercy mission to save a life. The region was still reeling from a once-in-a-century blizzard that had left dozens of people dead, and Sloma was determined that a woman who needed dialysis wasn’t going…
Medical Teams Weather Storms to Save Lives of Dialysis Patients
Christmas of last year, Michael Sloma knew he had a job to do — to help a woman who needed dialysis, reported Business Insider. According to the National Kidney Foundation, one in 500 Americans is on dialysis. The chaos of severe weather conditions can throw patients in a mix. Click here to see the full article…
CMS releases final rule on payments for dialysis care
Kidney Care Partners, a non-profit coalition of more than 30 organizations representing patients, dialysis professionals, physicians, nurses, researchers, therapeutic innovators, transplant coordinators and manufacturers, appreciates that CMS updated the payment rate for dialysis providers in the 2023 PPS final rule. Unfortunately, the rate increase does not address the major barriers created by the labor crisis…
Dialysis Stakeholders Say CMS Pay Bump Not Enough, Turn To Congress
Kidney care experts are concerned CMS’ unprecedented increase in pay rates for renal dialysis services didn’t account for the most updated data, and with less than 60 days remaining until the rule kicks in, the bump still isn’t enough to account for ongoing workforce shortages that have hamstrung the sector. Click here to read the…
Contributor: Congress Must Fix Patient Protection Statute Upended by Supreme Court
Unless Congress acts, a misguided decision by the Supreme Court earlier this year could have devastating consequences for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their families nationwide. As is all too often the case in health care policy, the impact would be disproportionately felt by patients and communities of color. Click here to read the full article on…
The Kidney Transplant Ecosystem Is Ripe for Reform
For many patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), the treatment that provides the longest and best quality of life is a kidney transplant. Recently, the U.S. transplant system achieved a record milestone, with over 40,000 organ transplants performed in 2021. Despite this achievement, there are still many more people waiting years…
Dialysis providers assess damage from Hurricane Ian
Dialysis providers deployed disaster response teams this past week along the coast of Florida to assess the damage from Hurricane Ian while watching its path into Georgia and the Carolinas. “Hurricane Ian impacted multiple U.S. Renal Care dialysis clinics along the west coast of Florida from Tampa to Naples, leaving many clinics without power, water,…
Chronic Kidney Patients Deserve Access to Safe Telehealth Care
Slowly but surely our nation is moving closer to living in a new normal, with COVID-19 case numbers dropping, cases less severe due to vaccinations and new therapies, and restrictions easing. Americans are getting back to normal, albeit a “new normal.” The COVID-19 public health emergency forced our health care system to modernize and adapt…
Is the HIF-PHI class of next-generation kidney drugs doomed in the U.S.?
Kidney disease patients need access to innovative therapies to expand treatment choices and improve quality of life. The FDA should closely examine whether it is applying the appropriate benefit/risk assessment for new drugs intended for this population. Click here to see the full article on the MedCity News website.