Dear James, On November 22, 2013, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rule resulting in a 12 percent cut in Medicare payments for dialysis services. We appreciate that over 1,000 of you sent letters to your elected officials expressing concerns over this rule and its potential to jeopardize access to quality care for individuals with end-stage renal disease. Although the rule was finalized, and the 12 percent cut sustained, we want you to know that AKF and the patients we serve appreciate your efforts! We were anticipating a drastic 12 percent cut to be implemented immediately, beginning in January 2014, but thanks to outreach and advocacy efforts from you and the entire kidney care community, CMS will not implement the full cut right away. Instead, the $30 cut per treatment will be phased in over the next 3-4 years. While AKF cannot predict how services will be impacted over the long term, we will continue to work to protect patients’ access to quality dialysis care. We are pleased that the final rule provides that those who receive dialysis at home will see a 50 percent increase in the payment for home dialysis training. AKF will continue to monitor the impact of this rule and will continue to keep you updated as we move into 2014. Our work does not stop here and your continued support is both critical and much appreciated. It is important that you continue to help AKF advocate for quality care! Read AKF’s statement on the rule. Is this your first time hearing about this issue? Join AKF’s Advocacy Network to stay updated on policies and issues that impact kidney patients! Sincerely, Nikia Okoye Director of Government Relations
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 18:47:02 +0000
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