Kidney Care Partners praises National Taxpayers Union's MSP endorsement

WASHINGTON—Advocacy group Kidney Care Partners said is a statement it applauds the National Taxpayers Union's (NTU's) April 24 letter to the Senate Finance Committee supporting Medicare policy changes that would extend the period of private insurance coverage for beneficiaries suffering from kidney failure.

NTU called these reforms (historically referred to as Medicare Secondary Payer or MSP) an example of a "Common Sense Coverage Reform."

In a nine-page submission to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.,  Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and members of the Committee addressing Medicare issues ranging from funding oversight and accountability measures to systemic changes, the NTU called out Patient Coverage Extension (PCE) for patients on dialysis as a "small but sensible step" Congress can undertake to control ballooning Medicare costs and deliver savings to taxpayers, thereby helping avoid unnecessary tax hikes or government bailouts.

The Bush Administration has recently proposed extending private coverage for ESRD patients from 3 to 60 months.

"Kidney Care Partners is encouraged by the National Taxpayers Union's support of extending private coverage as a reasonable and achievable goal for delivering expanded choice for ESRD patients and recognizable savings for Medicare," said Edward Jones, MD, Chairman of Kidney Care Partners. "We hope Congress will recognize the importance of enacting this critical reform—which could greatly advance patient care for a portion of the ESRD patient population and deliver more than $1 billion in savings over the next five years to improve the ESRD benefit - as it examines Medicare reform proposals in coming weeks."

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