ESRD Provisions Passed by House and Senate Today!
Congratulations! We did it! By a vote of 69 to 30 the United States Senate joined the House in passing a Medicare bill (HR 6331) that includes key provisions for patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)—a tremendous victory for the kidney care community.
Specifically, these provisions establish pre-dialysis education and CKD prevention measures, as well as, revise the payment methodology for ESRD treatment, and provide an inflation update. If the President chooses to veto the Medicare bill both the House and the Senate currently have enough votes to override the veto.
This is a fantastic victory for the entire kidney community. A special thanks to our DPC Patient Ambassadors for your tireless work. You spent countless hours with your members of Congress, as well as, sent emails, and made phone calls. Your voice was key to this victory!
Please visit www.dialysispatients.org or call 1.866.877.4242 for more information.
[FONT=Verdana][B][B][FONT=Verdana][FONT=Verdana][FONT=Verdana]Go to www.dialysispatients.org[/FONT][/FONT][/B][/B]
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Hi Folks
So the great medicare bill has passed. I’ve read parts of it that deal with a # of issues. Can anyone break it down to what the dialysis will really get? For me a center will do the right thing without concern with the amount of money. The time I’ve spent on this board and the fact that I found a center that is 180 degrees better than my first two. But it took a great deal of work on my part , and I know that it should not be on the dialysis consumer to drive great distances.
thanks
bob obrien
It was good to see a veto override on this bill. I understand the president wanted to veto the bill because it cut back on the government giveaway to the private insurance companies. I haven’t read much good about these Medicare advantage programs:
“Even though private plans were brought into Medicare to lower costs, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (“MedPAC,” Congress’ expert advisory body on Medicare payment policy) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) have found that they are paid 12 percent more, on average, than it would cost traditional Medicare to cover the same beneficiaries. These overpayments currently average about $1,000 per beneficiary, according to The Commonwealth Fund.”
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2007/december/curbing_medicare_adv.php