Kidney Disease Research Updates
Winter 2009
Medicare News
Medicare Legislation Contains Kidney Education Package
Pilot Projects and Medicare Benefits for Kidney Education Included
Medicare legislation passed into law July 15, 2008, authorizes more extensive coverage for preventive health services, including two initiatives aimed at promoting kidney disease education.
The Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) authorizes pilot programs in three states to increase public awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD), promote screening for CKD, and provide surveillance of CKD prevalence. The three state programs will be selected and established this year.
In 2010, MIPPA will also make people on Medicare with Stage 4 CKD eligible to receive individualized kidney education training from a qualified health care provider. Medicare will cover the training fee. Medicare officials are consulting with health care providers, health educators, and other stakeholders to establish rules governing this new benefit.
People with Stage 4 CKD face an important decision about their treatment should they progress to Stage 5, also called kidney failure, and require dialysis or a kidney transplant. Making an informed decision requires knowledge of available treatment options and potential complications.
MIPPA’s main thrust is to adjust Medicare payment schedules and some eligibility rules. For example, MIPPA blocks a scheduled 10.6 percent reduction in what doctors receive for outpatient services. MIPPA also increases assets patients can keep and still qualify for the Medicare Savings Program—from $4,000 to $6,000 for individuals, and from $6,000 to $9,000 for couples.
For more information about CKD, visit www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov.
NIH Publication No. 09–4531
March 2009
[Top]
|
