CMS Issued a Final Ruling on 2014 Dialysis Payment Rates

As many of you may know, on Nov. 22, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule on 2014 payment rates for dialysis facilities paid under the End Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System (ESRD PPS) as well as updates to the Quality Incentive Program (QIP). CMS first announced a proposed cut of 12 percent(1) from Medicare’s ESRD program in July, potentially threatening access to dialysis care for thousands of patients with kidney disease across the country.

Thanks to the support from our physician partners, patients, teammates and other members of the kidney care community over the last few months, we were able to generate more than 124,000 contacts to Congress asking them to help stop the cuts. Our combined efforts were a success, resulting in flat rates over the next two years and continued access to dialysis care for our patients. But we still have some work to do to help mitigate future cuts. Read more…