In February, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 was signed into law, expanding Medicare reimbursement for a small list of telehealth services, including home dialysis for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), according to the Clinical Journal of American Society of Nephrology.
Topics: nephrology, kidney care
DaVita’s Medical Group Division to Pay $270 Million Over Inflated Charges
The division, which is being sold to UnitedHealth Group, agreed to pay the sum to settle claims it provided inaccurate information on patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, which led to overpayment from Medicare.
Source: Nephrology News & Issues
One of the most devastating hurricanes in the history of the United States, Hurricane Katrina caused $75 billion in damage in New Orleans and along the Mississippi coast. Beyond its toll on infrastructure and the lives of the area’s citizens, the hurricane exposed several gaps in emergency preparedness for hemodialysis patients. Many clinics in the area didn’t have sufficient emergency preparedness plans in place; patients didn’t know how to adequately prepare for the storm; and public health officials were unaware of how much of the population was dependent on dialysis.
Topics: disaster preparedness planning, safety during and after disasters, kidney patients, emergency preparedness, dialysis facilities
Otsuka Acquires Visterra
Otsuka has acquired antibody therapy maker Visterra for $430 million. Otsuka hopes to take advantages of Visterra’s therapies for CKD and other conditions.
Topics: kidney care
Not surprisingly, many patients undergoing care for chronic kidney disease often experience an emotional toll along with their physical symptoms. The emotional health of patients is often overlooked by their care teams, though they are either unaware patients are experiencing these issues or are focused entirely on maintaining patients’ physical health.
Here is your latest kidney care news for September 2018.
End stage renal disease is increasing by five percent per year in the United States, and in 2014 over 100,000 people began treatment for ESRD. As the amount of ESRD patients increase, so does the need for dialysis clinics to help treat them.
Attracting these new ESRD patients to your dialysis clinic and retaining the ones you have has several benefits. Lower patient turnover has been associated with increased profitability, happier staff and lowered risk of patient treatment errors.
But attracting and retaining patients is often easier said than done. Here are a few tips for attracting and retaining patients to your dialysis center.
American Renal Associates Reports 10 Percent Increase in Operating Revenues in Q1
Bill restricting third-party premium payment for patients with ESRD wins California Senate committee approval
The California Senate Committee on Health recently approved the California SB 1156 bill, sponsored by Sen. Connie Leyva. SB 1156 prevents third-party organizations, such as the American Kidney Fund, from helping patients on dialysis pay for more expensive, commercial health plan premiums.
