Renal Business Today

Insurance

Industry teaming up to ease patient’s Part D pains

Despite general satisfaction with how the Medicare Part D Prescription drug program has worked out, industry leaders are still stepping in to help dialysis patients who find themselves in the “doughnut hole,” which requires them to pay more out-of-pocket costs. Reaction to ...More
June 1, 2007
Posted in Articles, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
Renal Politics

By all accounts, 2006 was a relatively slow year in the realm of renal-related legislation in Washington D.C. Bills pushing a home dialysis demonstration project and an annual reimbursement update died in committee. But the outgoing 109th Congress did manage to pass ...More
June 1, 2007
Posted in Articles, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
Drug negotiation bill fails in Senate

The Democrats suffered a major blow in Congress when the Senate blocked a bill in April that would have allowed Medicare to participate in negotiations for drug prices in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program. Such negotiations are not allowed under current law. ...More
June 1, 2007
Posted in Articles, Business, Government & Regulation
New Jersey passes bill to cover uninsured dialysis patients

TRENTON, N.J.—A New Jersey bill that requires dialysis facilities to provide uncompensated outpatient services for uninsured, low-income kidney disease patients was passed March 15 by both houses of the state’s Congress by a vote of 68-10-1. According to the bill: “An ...More
May 1, 2007
Posted in Articles, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
TOC News

FDA puts black-box warning on ESAs New Jersey passes bill to cover uninsured dialysis patients Cantel Medical acquires GE’s dialysis water business AmerisourceBergen to acquire Bellco Health NxStage to manufacture some parts in Mexico National Renal finishes $100 million ...More
May 1, 2007
Posted in Articles, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
FDA puts black-box warning on ESAs

WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said March 14 that it’s closely reviewing all Medicare policies on erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in response to the recent ESA black box warning issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “We pay ...More
May 1, 2007
Posted in Articles, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
American Kidney Fund launches Part D grant program

ROCKVILLE, Md.—The American Kidney Fund, which provides financial assistance to kidney patients, said today that it is starting a new program to help dialysis patients pay for bone disease drugs under Medicare Part D. ...More
April 3, 2007
Posted in News, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
Shire extends Fosrenol assistance program

PHILADELPHIA — Shire PLC is extending its “Fosrenol at hand program” to provide the hyperphosphatemia drug free of charge to qualified patients enrolled in the medicare Part d prescription drug plan. “Shire believes costs should not be a barrier to the effective treatment ...More
March 30, 2007
Posted in Articles, Business, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
Kidney Care Quality and education act introduced in Congress

Washington — On February 27, Congress introduced the Kidney Care Quality and education act of 2007, which is a bill similar to ones introduced in past years that focuses on improving medicare services to kidney disease patients. The bill, which builds on the Kidney Care ...More
March 30, 2007
Posted in Articles, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management
Medicare to review ESA policy in response to FDA black box warning

WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said March 14 that it’s closely reviewing all Medicare policies on erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in response to the recent ESA black box warning issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. ...More
March 15, 2007
Posted in News, Clinical & Pharma, Government & Regulation, Practice Management