A perfect storm of external and internal factors has combined to worsen an already dire nursing shortage nationwide, particularly in the field of nephrology: a rapidly aging population and workforce, increased levels of burnout among nurses, and the overall impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The situation has become a crisis for our nation’s healthcare community.

One key driver of this crisis has been payment policy that has not kept up with inflation. While the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated the payment rate for kidney care through End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System (ESRD PPS), the final rule’s three percent increase does not adequately solve the labor crisis facing the entire kidney care community.

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