Welcome to Kidney Patient News!
American Kidney Fund Holds Screenings in Chicago
On Saturday, May 11, 2013, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) will hold a Kidney Action Day at Millennium Park (Chase Promenade North, 201 E. Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601). Activities will include: free kidney health screenings (while supplies last), healthy cooking demos and healthy food samples, interactive fitness demos, local entertainment and children's activities.
Kidney Action Day is free and open to the public. Invite your friends and family to join you for this fun, family-friendly event. Download event flyer [PDF format, 357Kbs] or visit AKF website for more information.
Beneficiary Focused Learning Network (BFLN)
All 18 ESRD Networks participated in the special project and a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) was convened to facilitate the collaborative process. The purpose of this special project was to conduct Learning and Network Activities to maximize existing resources, practices, and data sources across all Networks in order to increase understanding of the ESRD beneficiaries’ view of dialysis care and knowledge of key components of their disease. Several Change Packages were developed as a result of this project. Visit using the following link: http://www.kidneypatientnews.org/ChangePackages/home.html
New KDOQI Guidelines for Diabetes
The National Kidney Foundation has released new clinical practice guidelines to assist kidney doctors and other practitioners caring for patients with diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). To view these and other guidelines and commentaries visit http://www.kidney.org/professionals/kdoqi/guidelines_commentaries.cfm.
Medicare Part D
The open enrollment period has ended for this year.
Click on the following links to learn more about your Medicare Part D coverage.
- How to get drug coverage?
- What the drug plans cover?
- Costs for Medicare drug coverage?
- When can I join a health or drug plan?
- How Part D works with other insurance?
- How do I find health & drug plans?
Prescription Medication Assistance Programs
Many kidney patients need help paying for their medicines. Some drug companies give patients free prescription drugs or provide them at a reduced price. Check to see if your medicines are covered by free prescription drugs and if you qualify for help. Ask your dialysis unit or facility social worker for more information or click on the links below.
- www.NeedyMeds.org is a website that provides applications patients can submit to various drug manufacturing companies.
- Partnership for Prescription that offers assistance on more than 150 programs offered by various pharmaceutical companies. http://www.pparx.org/
- Drug company assistance programs http://www.scbn.org/?gclid=CLro07yT2LACFYFo4Aodsw253Q
Medicare ESRD Bundled Payment
To learn more about how the new bundled payment may affect you:
Download End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System (CMS Fact Sheet, December 2012) [PDF format, 1.7Mb]
This booklet explains the Section 153(b) of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) which requires the implementation of a bundled ESRD PPS effective for Medicare outpatient maintenance dialysis services furnished on or after January 1, 2011.
Also visit Dialysis Patient Citizens and download a copy of the Dialysis Patients’ Guide to the Medicare ESRD Bundle brochure. [PDF format, 870Kb]
Featured Resource
Home Dialysis Central was developed to raise the awareness and use of peritoneal dialysis (PD) and home hemodialysis. Home Dialysis Central has provided an overview of all of the different ways (modalities) to do dialysis at home.
Visit their website at http://homedialysis.org/types to learn more about the types of home dialysis that are available.
Kidney Patient News (KPN) is designed to meet the needs of kidney patients and their families. KPN is sponsored by the Patient Services Department (ESRD Network 9/10) of The Renal Network, Inc under contract to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services(CMS). This Web site provides only general information for educational purposes. It does not endorse any specific test, procedure or medication that may be mentioned in the Web site. It does not replace medical or other advice offered by health care providers, professionals or physicians.
Last updated on: April 22, 2013
