Is Davita trying to kill me?

[raina]

When I started dialysis I coudla swore the dietitian said don't eat anything with added potassium in the ingredients.  Ever. So I've gotten into the habit of checking everything and if theres added potassium (citrate, sorbate,etc..) I simply do not eat it.  Perhaps thats why I have always been able to keep my potassium under control.  My phosphorus, not so much, but my potassium is good. Perhaps I should start avoiding anything with phosphorus in the label?

Anywhoo Davita gave us these gift packs. I heard people in other centers got blankets and pillows but I got a tote bag, tap light, magnifying light, toothbrush, pen, crossword puzzle book, and.. (drumroll) some mints that said Davita and were preserved with potassium.

When I asked the dietitian about this she said potassium additives were not as bad as I had understood them to be.  Still.. why would Davita, which I believe is only in the business of dialysis treatments, have what is a deadly toxin to their patients added to mints they had specially made (or at least specially packaged) for their patients?

I can't believe they'd think I want this stuff. Since starting dialysis I've gotten several of these bags, several blankets, an umbrella, a few mugs and these most recent items.  Yeah, lets fill up my house to remind me of dialysis when I'm at home.  Its so swell I'd like to remember it when I'm out walking in the rain.  Or brushing my teeth.  I think I'll use this crappy tote bag everywhere I go. Not.

If they have money to waste on this crap, why don't they use it to subsidize people who don't have Medicare for the first few months?

[BigSky]

Potassium must be watched.  However just because potassium has been added does not mean it is harmful.  Only when excessive amounts are added must you watch for it.  Such in some low sodium foods that have had potassium substituted in place of the sodium.   It is these foods that can have very high levels of potassium in them. 

As to mints you are looking at roughly 1 milligram of potassium for every 1/4 cup of mints.  Many patients have a K limit of 2000-3000 mg a day.

Find out from your doctor/dietitian what your limits of potassium, phosphorus, sodium, fluid and stay within those goals given.  Protein should be roughly 1.2 grams per kilo of bw.

[kitkatz]

We all know to send our unwanted Davita stuff to Epoman.  He LOVES the stuff and collects it in a special corner of his livingroom! 

[Sluff]

We all know to send our unwanted Davita stuff to Epoman.  He LOVES the stuff and collects it in a special corner of his livingroom! 

Yeah, the fireplace.

[Epoman]

We all know to send our unwanted Davita stuff to Epoman.  He LOVES the stuff and collects it in a special corner of his livingroom! 

Yeah, the fireplace.

LOL, just now saw this.

[kitkatz]

I am slowly collecting all of the RAI stuff they are giving me to add to your collection of Davita stuff, Epoman!  Where are you going to put your special collections?   Hahahaha!

[BigSky]

Epoman will showcase all his Davita stuff at IloveDavita.com     

[kimcanada]

Well bare with me but is Davita a company ?  And if it is, what are the people giving you dialysis.

[kitkatz]

DaVita is the largest dialysis company int he United States. We are talking about the gifts they give their patients at Christmas.

[thegrammalady]

i may be a bit dense.............but Davita isn't the only game in town

[kitkatz]

Unfortunately, it sometimes it is the only game in town.  Especially when your are stuck with them.

[thegrammalady]

it must be a very small community if davita is the only game in town.  you should be able to go to any center you want and maybe a bit of travel would be worth it

[Rerun]

Actually I may complain about DaVita because they make tons of money and are cheap with the patients, but it is better than other places I've been.  They are "for" profit and that is all right to a point.  But, who is to say what the "point" is.  How much is too much money to make off sick people.

[thegrammalady]

considering medicare is billed $65,000 a month for my treatment, for profit is extreem, and i'm not with davita, my doctor thinks they are evil!

[renal30yrs]

They are just running a business for profit.  Ultimately us ourselves are the first andthe last line of defense.

[bluedove57]

  I was with Davita in Florida for 5 years...they suck. Davita is a profit organization. Where I dialize now they are nonprofit and run on donations. Imagine Stephen King the horror writer sponsers our clinic in Maine. He is only one person that helps.  There is a difference between profit and nonprofit as to how the patients are treated. Profit care only how much they can bleed your pocket book. Nonprofit care about you as a person. That is the difference I noticed. I love the staff at my clinic. We are #1 to them. They truely care and will do anything for you. I don't miss Davita but we have to make due with which clinic we are living near. I truely wish everyone could be in my clinic. They make you feel special and important. You're somebody to them. I guess I'm fortunate to be where I am even if it is freezing in the winters.

[bdpoe]

I was with Davita in Florida for 5 years...they suck. Davita is a profit organization. Where I dialize now they are nonprofit and run on donations. Imagine Stephen King the horror writer sponsers our clinic in Maine. He is only one person that helps.  There is a difference between profit and nonprofit as to how the patients are treated. Profit care only how much they can bleed your pocket book. Nonprofit care about you as a person. That is the difference I noticed. I love the staff at my clinic. We are #1 to them. They truely care and will do anything for you. I don't miss Davita but we have to make due with which clinic we are living near. I truely wish everyone could be in my clinic. They make you feel special and important. You're somebody to them. I guess I'm fortunate to be where I am even if it is freezing in the winters.

You changed STATES and Clinics, I dont think the clinics want to get rid of you as much as the government does.
Florida is terrible for many dialysis patients. One of the four worst states in social spending.
...bdpoe/Orlando

[gr8fulrn]

I have worked in dialysis many many years and have never heard of dialysis billing $65,000 a month. The most in our state that is reimbursed by medicare is $135 a treatment. I have never heard of even a private insuranse billing $65000 a month. I believe that is why so many people hate the profit dialysis. The are listening to people who are putting out propaganda to encourage hatried. I dont understand why people have to be so hateful. If you saw a statement that said $65000 a month I really think it was in error or else you were in the hospital for many, many days in ICU with lots of procedures. Medicare will only reimburse what its allowed in each state. And it doesnt even cover the cost of supplies and labor. The profit comes from private insurance companies that have a pre negotiated rate with the dialysis units. So if any one leads you to believe that medicare or medicaid pays for your tx they are so wrong. I know this for a fact.

[Bill Peckham]

I have worked in dialysis many many years and have never heard of dialysis billing $65,000 a month. The most in our state that is reimbursed by medicare is $135 a treatment. I have never heard of even a private insuranse billing $65000 a month. I believe that is why so many people hate the profit dialysis. The are listening to people who are putting out propaganda to encourage hatried. I dont understand why people have to be so hateful. If you saw a statement that said $65000 a month I really think it was in error or else you were in the hospital for many, many days in ICU with lots of procedures. Medicare will only reimburse what its allowed in each state. And it doesnt even cover the cost of supplies and labor. The profit comes from private insurance companies that have a pre negotiated rate with the dialysis units. So if any one leads you to believe that medicare or medicaid pays for your tx they are so wrong. I know this for a fact.

Someone is believing the propaganda ... I don't think it is the patients whos private insurance is getting billed that and more.

I've agreed to help out this company: Dialysis Cost Containment Inc. http://www.prninc-us.com/dcc/services.html  "We offer a variety of services to best fit your dialysis cost containment needs ... savings to 90%!" The only way they can save you 90% is if you are being charged six digits a month. I even did a video for them http://www.prninc-us.com/dcc/hemodialysis.html scroll down. They set people up on home dialysis through a reasonably priced provider.

I'm going to stand in their booth at a Denver convention next month. Should be interesting.

[st789]

So, if someone go back to work after the kidney transplant and could very well lose everything they worked so hard for if he or she returns to dialysis.

[Bill Peckham]

So, if someone go back to work after the kidney transplant and could very well lose everything they worked so hard for if he or she returns to dialysis.

I not sure what this is reference to but when someone starts dialysis after having a transplant for more than three years (and if they are not eligible for Medicare based on age) then their private insurance will be primary. If that insurance company has little bargaining power (e.g. little local competition, too few patients on dialysis) and their local provider is one of the large for-profit dialysis organizations then there will be a tremendous incentive to get that dialyzor onto disability and off the company's insurance. The charges being set by some large dialysis providers are so high that they are running through people's lifetime insurance limits.

It is greed. Private payers are what fuel the provision of dialysis in the US and the myopic greed of some dialysis providers will destroy this shaky support.

[Black]

... So if any one leads you to believe that medicare or medicaid pays for your tx they are so wrong. ...

In my husband's case, the $$$ from Medicare is the only $$$ they get.  We have not be able to get any medical insurance for decades, and he goes to a not for profit center.

[Rerun]

What does Medicare pay per session.  I never see anything from them because they are not primary yet for me.

[Bill Peckham]

What does Medicare pay per session.  I never see anything from them because they are not primary yet for me.

Do you really want to know? (pdf link)
http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowPDF&ArtikelNr=96390&Ausgabe=232307&ProduktNr=223997&filename=96390.pdf

The short answer is 80% of $150 per session and on average each session generates about another $110 of revenue (of which Medicare pays 80%) this is mostly EPO but includes other medications, labs, etc.

[gr8fulrn]

Medicare pays for 80% of what is allowed billable by medicare. The other 20% is either paid out of pocket by the patient or from a secondary insurance like medicaid or a supplement. Most of the time the 20% is written off by the dialysis company.