Kidney patient advocates push education in Senate Medicare bill

[okarol]

Kidney patient advocates push education in Senate Medicare bill
05/15/2008

NEW YORK—Kidney patient advocates plan to meet May 22 in WashingtonD.C. in hopes they can persuade lawmakers to add a provision to a Medicare bill that would include a pre-dialysis education benefit.

Through a joint effort between the National Kidney Foundation and the nonprofit advocacy group Dialysis Patient Citizens, about 40 kidney disease patients will meet with members of Congress to discuss including the Kidney Care Quality and Education Act into a Medicare bill currently being considered in the Senate.

In addition to establishing annual payment updates for 2008, 2009 and 2010, the KCQEA would create education programs to help patients learn more about kidney disease and how to control it before it develops. The bill would also create programs to help chronic kidney disease patients better manage the disease.

The pre-dialysis education benefit would include a maximum of six sessions, reimbursed by Medicare, covering an overview of kidney function, complications associated with declining kidney function, a comprehensive review of treatment options, including discussion of vascular access alternatives for dialysis, the transplant waiting list and the process of identifying living kidney donors.

The provision to add pre-dialysis education is already included in the House of Representatives Medicare bill, which passed last summer. Congress is expected to work on Medicare legislation in advance of the 10 percent physician fee cut set to occur July 1.

"Both complications and cost of kidney disease can be reduced if education is provided before dialysis begins or transplantation occurs,” said John Davis, NKF CEO. “However, most kidney patients do not receive this information on time because Medicare currently does not require or reimburse education on treatment options until a patient has qualified for the End-Stage Renal Disease Program."

http://www.renalbusiness.com/hotnews/kidney-advocates-push-education-in-senate.html