Kidney Care Community Celebrates Passage of the House of Representatives ESRD Choice Act with Unanimous Vote
Bill will enable more choice for patients suffering from kidney disease, kidney failure by allowing much-needed access to Medicare Advantage plans Washington, DC – Kidney Care Partners – the nation’s leading coalition of patient advocates, kidney disease professionals, dialysis care providers, and manufacturers – today applauded the U.S. House for passing legislation that would offer…
House passes Medicare Advantage bill for ESRD patients
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…
Charitable assistance: the new pre-existing condition
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…
Can Bipartisanship Exist in Today’s Congress?
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…
W&M Passes Bills To Let Kidney-Failure Patients Enroll In MA; Help LTCHs
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…
House Panel OKs Medicare Advantage Coverage for Renal Disease
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…
Finally, legislation that offers people with kidney failure a choice in coverage
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…
Representatives introduce bill to give ESRD patients access to Medicare Advantage
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…
KCP Applauds Legislation to Expand Medicare Coverage Options for Dialysis Patients
Legislative Efforts Will Benefit Vulnerable Populations with Kidney Failure WASHINGTON – Kidney Care Partners, the nation’s leading coalition of patient advocates, dialysis professionals, care providers and manufacturers working together to improve quality of care for individuals with kidney disease, today applauded the introduction of legislation that would expand Medicare coverage options for dialysis patients. Under…
Expanding access, supporting research and sustaining medicare is the future of kidney care
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…