Today, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) filed an amicus brief in support of a recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule that will make it easier for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients in Medicare Advantage to receive dialysis at home
The case, Dialysis Patient Citizens v. Azar, involves a challenge to the rule that removes time and distance standards in determining network adequacy for outpatient dialysis providers. AHIP believes that system change is needed to correct for underutilization of home dialysis in Medicare Advantage. This would parallel developments in the traditional Medicare program in which the government has taken steps to incentivize the use of home dialysis.
AHIP’s brief makes three main points:
- Regulatory modernization is necessary to bring ESRD care in the United States into the 21st century
- CMS’ final rule eliminates barriers to achieving a higher-functioning market for dialysis care in the Medicare Advantage program
- Under the final rule, ESRD patients will retain access to all necessary dialysis services
Please click here to view AHIP’s amicus brief.