On June 29, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, which provides for Medicare reimbursement for renal dialysis services furnished to individuals with acute kidney injury. This measure, which takes effect on January 1, 2017, has been long awaited by dialysis providers. Frustration surrounding Medicare reimbursement for acute dialysis services furnished in an outpatient dialysis facility dates back to a statement issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 18, 2012. CMS took the position that hospital outpatients may receive acute dialysis only in a hospital or in locations that qualify as provider-based departments of the hospital if they want those services reimbursed by Medicare.

The July 2012 statement presented considerable confusion in the dialysis community regarding whether CMS was also stating that Medicare-certified facilities could provide acute dialysis services. The recent legislation now ensures that dialysis facilities will be reimbursed for acute dialysis treatments rendered to Medicare beneficiaries as of January 1, 2017. Specifically, Section 808 of the law amends the Medicare statutes to provide coverage for “renal dialysis services furnished … by a renal dialysis facility or provider … to an individual with acute kidney injury.” See H.B. 1295, 114th Cong. (2015). Further, payment for furnishing acute dialysis services “shall be the base rate for renal dialysis services determined for such year … as adjusted by any applicable geographic adjustment factor” or otherwise adjusted by CMS.

...

On June 29, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, which provides for Medicare reimbursement for renal dialysis services furnished to individuals with acute kidney injury. This measure, which takes effect on January 1, 2017, has been long awaited by dialysis providers. Frustration surrounding Medicare reimbursement for acute dialysis services furnished in an outpatient dialysis facility dates back to a statement issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 18, 2012. CMS took the position that hospital outpatients may receive acute dialysis only in a hospital or in locations that qualify as provider-based departments of the hospital if they want those services reimbursed by Medicare.

The July 2012 statement presented considerable confusion in the dialysis community regarding whether CMS was also stating that Medicare-certified facilities could provide acute dialysis services. The recent legislation now ensures that dialysis facilities will be reimbursed for acute dialysis treatments rendered to Medicare beneficiaries as of January 1, 2017. Specifically, Section 808 of the law amends the Medicare statutes to provide coverage for “renal dialysis services furnished … by a renal dialysis facility or provider … to an individual with acute kidney injury.” See H.B. 1295, 114th Cong. (2015). Further, payment for furnishing acute dialysis services “shall be the base rate for renal dialysis services determined for such year … as adjusted by any applicable geographic adjustment factor” or otherwise adjusted by CMS.

...

Decrease in patient numbers responsible for turnaround.

Ann Logan and Zaida in the dialysis unit at Bendigo Health. Picture: BRENDAN McCARTHY

WAITING times for haemodialysis treatment at Bendigo Health have been cut to nil.

Critically-ill patients were last year forced to travel several hours away from Bendigo for treatment because of lengthy waiting lists. 

Bendigo Health renal services business manager Kathleen Fair said the service was now operating well. She said a decrease in the number of kidney patients was responsible for the turnaround.

The number of patients needing dialysis was prone to fluctuation, she said.

“People receive transplants or they move away or unfortunately some die,” she said.

Ms Fair said about 45 people were currently receiving haemodialysis at Bendigo Health. 

At present staffing levels, Bendigo Health’s renal unit can serve a patient cohort of up to 48.

Ms Fair said the service had scope to expand to cater for extra patients if need be by putting on an extra shift in the evening.

Dialysis patients at Bendigo Health receive five hours of dialysis three times a week.

Patients are presently split into morning and afternoon groups, allowing maximum use out of the renal unit’s resources.

Bendigo woman Ann Logan began dialysis in September last year after a bad bout of pneumonia.

With no chairs available in Bendigo, she was forced to spend three months in Melbourne to receive haemodialysis at the Austin and Preston hospitals.

A spot at Bendigo Health finally opened up for her after Christmas. 

She said being able to receive treatment in Bendigo made an enormous difference to her life.

“It’s made such a difference. When I was in Melbourne I was staying with my daughter who had a newborn baby so it was probably quite hard on her too,” she said.

Ms Logan’s guide dog Zaida accompanies her to her regular dialysis sessions and has become a hit among the nurses and fellow patients.

“The nurses love taking her out and she seems happy to skip off with them,” she said.

The wife of another dialysis patient recently surprised Ms Logan with a handmade crocheted rug for Zaida. 

“It was the most beautiful thing. It was a really lovely surprise,” she said.

Ms Logan praised the staff at Bendigo Health.

“They’re just marvellous,” she said. 

...

Dialysis center to host open house July 19 Journal Times The open house will be an opportunity for the local chamber of commerce, leaders in the community, physician partners, DaVita teammates and dialysis patients to come together. The center offers hemodialysis, home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis ...

...