July 3, 2013 Proposed CMS Dialysis Cuts Pose Massive Threat to ESRD Medicare Beneficiary Access to Care ROCKVILLE, MD—The Renal Physicians Association (RPA), the professional organization of clinical nephrologists with expertise in socioeconomic issues affecting dialysis care, believe that the cuts announced on July 1 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will greatly threaten access to care for dialysis patients. According to RPA President Robert J. Kossmann, M.D., of Santa Fe, NM, “RPA is deeply concerned about the effect a cut of this magnitude could have on Medicare beneficiaries’ access to care.” An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from chronic kidney disease, including 400,000 individuals who are undergoing treatment for end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), or kidney failure. Most commonly caused by diabetes or high blood pressure, kidney failure is expected to affect more than 2 million people by 2030. Without dialysis or a kidney transplant, patients suffering from kidney failure will not survive. Since transplant organs are in short supply, most patients must undergo some form of home dialysis, or dialysis treatments in a dialysis center, substituting for healthy kidneys by mechanically filtering body wastes and excess fluids from the bloodstream, 3‐4 times per week. Reimbursement for dialysis services under the ESRD Prospective Payment System (PPS) has been reduced numerous times in recent years, prior to the additional sequestration‐related cuts implemented earlier in 2013. Further cuts on the scale of those outlined in the proposed rule will not only compromise the ability of most dialysis facilities to maintain the staffing levels necessary to provide appropriate care to Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD, but will also increase the likelihood that some dialysis facilities will be forced to close their doors. Additionally, the reductions are likely to have a disproportionately negative impact on rural communities and efforts to address health care disparities in the ESRD patient population. “There have been tremendous strides in the quality and availability of ESRD care to Medicare beneficiaries over the past decade,” said Dr. Kossmann. “Implementing cuts of the size proposed by CMS would substantially put those gains at risk and threaten access to appropriate care for dialysis patients in the Medicare program. They also are at odds with two of CMS’ three ‘Triple Aims’ with regard to improving individual patient care and population health. RPA urges CMS to work with the renal care community to develop an approach to refining the ESRD PPS that balances the Agency’s fiduciary responsibilities with preserving the access to high quality ESRD care currently afforded to Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD.” The Renal Physicians Association (RPA) is the professional organization of nephrologists whose goal is to ensure quality care under the highest standards of medical practice for patients with kidney disease and related disorders. For further information, please contact Robert Blaser, RPA’s Director of Public Policy, at 301‐468‐3515 or [email protected].
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 09:42:00 +0000