releases: https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=233342da-5a49-4f32-b93b-74d98566971d
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=233342da-5a49-4f32-b93b-74d98566971d | UPDATE: PROPOSED NEW REGS COULD JEOPARDIZE DIALYSIS TREATMENTS | 2013-11-22 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MS | Thad Cochran | C000567 | www.cochran.senate.gov | legacy | UPDATE, November 22, 2013: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) late today issued a final rule to update payment policies and rates under the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System for renal dialysis services furnished to beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2014. Senator Cochran, who this month wrote CMS to raise concerns about proposed changes, was informed Friday by CMS that: “In response to comments, CMS is implementing a 3- to 4-year transition of the drug utilization reduction by offsetting the reduction by the payment update, that is the ESRD bundled market basket minus productivity increase factor, and other impacts (such as the outlier or training add-on, if applicable) to create an overall zero percent impact for all ESRD facilities from the previous year’s payments for CYs 2014 and 2015…” A CMS fact sheet and news release are available below. The CMS final rule can be viewed at: http://ofr.gov/inspection.aspx. November 13, 2013 COCHRAN: PROPOSED NEW REGS COULD JEOPARDIZE DIALYSIS TREATMENTS Proposed Cuts to Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease Program Worry Mississippi Dialysis Patients, Service Providers WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is warning that proposed changes to Medicare reimbursement rates for end-stage renal disease care could jeopardize dialysis treatments for Mississippians, particularly in rural areas where access to care can be limited. Cochran has asked Marilyn Tavenner, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), to consider revising a proposed rule that would effectively undercut reimbursements to dialysis treatment centers throughout the country. CMS could soon finalize a proposed rule to update and revise the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) prospective payment system for 2014. The rule could result in a 9.4 percent reduction in payments to ESRD facilities, including the more than 70 certified ESRD facilities in Mississippi. “I’ve heard from dialysis patients in Mississippi who are worried the proposed reductions will affect their treatment, particularly their access to quality care,” said Cochran, a member of the Senate Diabetes Caucus. “Dialysis treatments are vital for many people with diabetes and kidney-related illnesses. I hope the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will agree to a more reasonable rule that is fiscally responsible but also fair to dialysis providers,” he said. The proposed ESRD payment reductions would result in CMS reimbursing most dialysis providers less than the cost of the services they provide. The average Medicare margin for a dialysis facility is currently about 4 percent, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which also recommended that reimbursement rates be held constant. “I request that you consider revising the proposed rule to ensure that funding levels are sufficient to cover the cost of providing life-sustaining treatment to Medicare beneficiaries and to maintain access to quality dialysis care in communities across the country,” Cochran wrote Travenner. Because the Medicare ESRD program currently provides coverage to more than 80 percent of Americans living with ESRD who require dialysis services, Cochran warned that if the proposed rule is finalized “providers will be forced to take steps to reduce costs, which could reduce faculty staffing and limit patients’ flexibility to receive their dialysis treatments.” “In some cases, facility closures could occur, which would significantly reduce patient access to care, particularly in rural communities where access is already a concern. These cuts would likely have a detrimental impact on dialysis clinics throughout Mississippi and affect many patients receiving dialysis treatment in my state,” Cochran wrote. Cochran, who is the lead Republican cosponsor of the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2013 (S.323), is among 76 Senators who recently wrote in support of continued investment in the Special Diabetes Program, an initiative focused on improving diabetes treatment, prevention and research. LINKS: • CMS ESRD Website: http://go.cms.gov/HPOqCP • Mississippi ESRD Facilities: http://1.usa.gov/17TFuIT • Mississippi State Department of Health Directory of Health Facilities: http://1.usa.gov/1cUQWFR ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |