Medicare Bill H.R. 6331 (Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of
2008)
Becomes a Law
The Senate joined the House in
voting to override the President's
veto of H.R. 6331 with a vote of 70 to 26. The legislation was enacted
into law instantaneously, pursuant to the effective dates in statute.
Please THANK your elected officials.
Several of the provisions contained in H.R. 6331 were adopted from
the Kidney Care Quality & Education Act of 2007.
Passing the Medicare bill with kidney care provisions is important to people
with kidney disease. This legislation establishes vital education and prevention
programs to help slow the progression of kidney disease and provide an
inflationary update to account for critical staffing services.
The bill also requires the bundling of payments for dialysis drugs, testing
supplies, and other elements into a single, more cost effective payment for the
treatment of End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) by 2011.
In addition, this bill eliminates the potential 10.6 percent fee cut to doctors
while giving them a 1.1 percent increase in payments to see Medicare patients.
In the last 4 years, Renal Support Network's patient activists in its Wellness
and Education Kidney Advocacy Network (weKAN) have made over 500 visits to
elected officials, written thousands of letters and e-mails, scheduled elected
officials and their staff to visits dialysis facilities and assisted in Kidney
Care Partners petition drive resulting in over 70,000 signed and delivered to
Congress.
The kidney community comprised of patients, family members and healthcare
professionals have fought long and hard to present the message to Congress to
help pass this legislation.
Take a moment and “Thank” your elected officials for taking an interest in
people who have chronic kidney disease. To find out if your elected officials
voted for the Medicare legislation click on the links provided below.
House of
Representatives
Senate
Sample Script of Bill from Patient's Perspective
Send a Letter (Sample)
Phone Call/Visit (Sample) |
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