It gives me a great feeling when nephrologists and other medical professionals are recognizing that we are not properly educating our kidney failure (ESRD- those with End Stage Renal Disease) patients about all the options they may have.
Continue reading Increase the Number of Kidney Transplants
Dialysis procedures have been optimized over the years. And, these procedures were greatly benefited when blood pumps became the norm (as opposed to letting our hearts pump the blood through the dialyzer), high flux dialyzers (membrane devices that were extremely adept at letting metabolic toxins be removed from blood), etc.
Continue reading Dialysis with Low Flows
So, when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was passed, it had a Medicaid component. It was left to the states to add that component as a benefit to their residents; if chosen, it would alter the way Medicaid reimbursement worked in that state.
Continue reading Medicaid Expansion
Whew!
Just like American voters realized what was at stake in the 2022 elections for the Senate, the House, and the State offices (let’s hear it for voter sanity), the voters in California also recognized the folly that the SEIU_UHW (Service Employees International Union- United Healthcare Workers West) was trying to impose on dialysis providers. For the third time in 5 years, the voters rejected the proposition proffered by the union to pressure Fresenius and DaVita to negotiate with the unions by a margin of more than 2 to 1.
Continue reading Prop 29 is again DOA
I am hoping most of you voters (in California) have been reading the editorials and recommendations in all the papers, as well as local TV news, to reject Proposition 29.
Continue reading The Vote on Proposition 29 is Tuesday
I have been enjoying the postseason baseball experience (where the Phillies are managing to be the giant killers for both leagues). Yeah, except for last night- a night of ignominy…
Continue reading Quinquagenary This Past Sunday
One of the real problems for patients on dialysis is their impaired physical functionality. It means normal life is more difficult for them, even as it is prolonged with the inclusion of dialysis therapy. The question has always been what is the biological cause. (In other words, is this a failure of dialysis to remove some toxin or blood component?)
Continue reading Kidney patients and decreased physical performance
Exactly as I feared.
As I stated on 15 July 2019, when I discussed Trump’s Executive Order regarding dialysis, I considered that this executive order looked to be more aspirational than executional. Not even the End Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices (ETC) payment model seems to have made a dent in the increased adoption of home dialysis services.
Continue reading Home Dialysis Implementation Scorecard
Comes this November, and dialysis in the state of California may be changed forever.
Continue reading Really? Every two years?
So, I am not sure if you recall our discussion of one of the (many new) screwups SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) effected recently. I am talking about its decision in Marietta Memorial Hospital Employee Health Benefit Plan v. DaVita Inc.
Continue reading Reversing a bad SCOTUS decision