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Where Kidney Patients Can Get Help with Medical Bills and Employment

2024-03-28T21:00:29-04:00February 20th, 2020|Categories: Additional Resources, Costs for Treatment, Employment, eNews, Fact Sheet, Support|

There is a resource—developed by patients with kidney disease—that provides an overview of where to get help with medical bills and employment. The types of medical bill tips highlighted include: An overview of Medicare coverage for people with End-Stage Renal Disease Where you may find help in getting supplemental coverage for the 20% Medicare doesn't pay Assistance for special populations (e.g., veterans, children, people with disabilities, etc.) Programs that help cover expenses related to health insurance premiums, living organ donation and medications. Assistance provided by some electric companies for home hemodialysis patients Employment tips [...]

There’s a Grant for That!

2024-03-28T21:00:38-04:00January 1st, 2020|Categories: Additional Resources, Costs for Treatment, Employment, Humor and Laughter, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Music, Physical Health, Webinar|

Do you have an idea to help others living with kidney disease? Are you interested in going back to school or work? There’s a grant for that. If you’ve never applied for a grant before, don’t worry. With resources to help guide you, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The End Stage Renal Disease National Coordinating Center (ESRD NCC) Patient Grant Library has what you need to help find the grant that’s right for you. It also offers links to sources for writing a proposal, creating a budget and submitting an application.

2020 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles

2024-03-28T21:00:45-04:00November 27th, 2019|Categories: Costs for Treatment, eNews|

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2020 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs. Medicare Part B Premiums/Deductibles Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A. Each year the Medicare premiums, deductibles, and copayment rates are adjusted according to the Social Security Act. For 2020, the Medicare Part B monthly premiums and the annual deductible are higher than the 2019 amounts. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B [...]

Medicare Plan Finder Gets an Upgrade for the First Time in a Decade

2024-03-28T21:00:52-04:00October 4th, 2019|Categories: Costs for Treatment, eNews|

It’s Now Easier to Compare Coverage Options and Shop for Medicare Health and Drug Plans For the first time in a decade, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a modernized and redesigned Medicare Plan Finder. The Medicare Plan Finder, the most used tool on Medicare.gov, allows users to shop and compare Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. There are more than 60 million people with Medicare coverage. The updated Medicare Plan Finder also provides them and their caregivers with a personalized experience through a mobile friendly and easy-to-read design that will help them learn about different options and [...]

Quick Guide for Receiving Medical Services Not Offered by Medicare

2024-03-28T20:59:05-04:00June 19th, 2019|Categories: Additional Resources, Costs for Treatment, eNews, Fact Sheet|

Thousands of Americans with end-stage renal disease rely on Medicare for their healthcare needs. However, there are some medical services, such as dental, vision and hearing, where Medicare coverage is lacking. If you are on Medicare and need these services, here is a three-page guide that provides free and lower-cost treatment resources. Check out the guide.

Free Monthly Webinars/Conference Calls

2024-03-28T20:59:20-04:00March 21st, 2019|Categories: About DPC Ed Center, Costs for Treatment, Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, Early Intervention, Employment, Home Hemodialysis, Humor and Laughter, Immunizations, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Lifestyle, Medication, Mental Health, Music, Nutrition, Pediatric Kidney Disease, Peritoneal Dialysis, Physical Health, Sex and Intimacy, Stages of Kidney Disease, Stress Management, Support, Symptoms, The Kidney Citizen, Webinar, What Causes Kidney Disease|

The DPC Education Center invites people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), their families and professional staff to join us for our monthly webinars. You can also join by phone or view the recordings online at a later time. The webinars are planned for the fourth Thursday of the month at 2 p.m. Eastern time zone, except for November and December when they will be held during the third week of the month. You can download monthly webinar fliers to share with others and/or register for webinars at www.dpcedcenter.org/news-events/education-webinars. Join by phone by calling 1-877- 399-5186 and [...]

Improvements in Dialysis Care Are Outpacing Other Serious Chronic Disease Conditions – Including Cancer and Heart Failure

2024-03-28T20:59:25-04:00March 4th, 2019|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, eNews|

Improvements in dialysis care are outpacing outcomes for other chronic disease conditions, improvements that allow patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) to live longer lives – and yielding substantial savings to Medicare – according to a new fact sheet created from the health care consulting firm Discern Health, which analyzed United States Renal Data System (USRDS) data. An analysis of the USRDS data set by Discern Health reveals that, although ESRD patients are among the most complex and costly Medicare beneficiaries to treat, improvements in dialysis care have led to improvements that translate into larger gains in patient survival than other [...]

Scientists Hope to Eliminate the Need for Anti-rejection Drugs After an Organ Transplant with Experimental Procedure

2024-03-28T20:59:39-04:00January 22nd, 2019|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Kidney Transplant, Medication|

A patient who received a liver transplant decreased his anti-rejection drugs from 40 to one (with the hope to eventually eliminate all anti-rejection medications being taken) with the help of doctors and an experimental procedure, as published this week by The New York Times. The procedure involves training the immune system of the patient receiving the organ into not attacking the new organ by manipulating white blood cells from both the organ donor and the recipient and later reincorporating those cells into the recipient. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Anti-rejection Drugs In order for organ transplants to be successful, patients must [...]

Dialysis Patients Looking to Quit Smoking May Be Eligible for Free Counseling Sessions

2024-06-07T11:42:34-04:00November 30th, 2018|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Early Intervention, eNews, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

Smoking cigarettes can damage your kidneys. Quitting smoking may help your blood pressure, which can lower your risk for having heart attack or stroke. Individuals with high blood pressure have a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease (1 in 5 adults with high blood pressure may have chronic kidney disease). Medicare Part B covers up to eight counseling sessions centered around quitting smoking during a 12-month period. Make sure your healthcare professional is recognized by Medicare and accepts Medicare’s payment. Visit Medicare’s website for more information.

Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7

2024-03-28T21:00:55-04:00October 20th, 2017|Categories: Costs for Treatment, eNews, News & Events, Treatment|Tags: |

If you have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and are enrolled in Medicare, you most likely have Original Medicare Part A and Part B. Part A covers hospital insurance and Part B covers medical insurance. Most people with ESRD are not currently able to get Medicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage, which combines Parts A and B (and sometimes Part D). Part D is a prescription drug plan.  It is a separate plan that people with ESRD can purchase to help pay for outpatient prescription drugs. If you have Original Medicare Part A and Part B, you do not have [...]

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