Kidney Care Partners Applauds Congressional Action to Delay Inclusion of Oral-Only Drugs in Medicare ESRD Payment Bundle

 Kidney Care Partners (KCP) – the nation’s leading kidney care multi-stakeholder coalition representing patient advocates, physician organizations, health professional groups, dialysis providers, researchers and manufacturers – thanks members of the House Ways and Means Committee for advancing policy to delay for two years inclusion of oral-only drugs from the ESRD PPS payment bundle.

Today’s House Ways and Means Committee development is a critically helpful milestone in the care and treatment of individuals with ESRD, who face multiple obstacles to adequate care, including diminished access to innovative therapies, reduced availability of clinical supports due to an underfunded Medicare payment system, and often, choice of insurance coverage, in addition to the threat of compromising access to oral-only phosphate-lowering drugs that are essential to patient success and survival.

The oral-only, phosphate-lowering drugs impacted by this policy are taken by most patients on dialysis multiple times per day to manage blood phosphate levels. Historically, KCP has expressed concerns that variability will create administrative and financial burdens for providers and potentially clinical burdens on patients.

“While this legislation is not a cure-all, delaying this policy to ensure ongoing patient access to oral-only phosphate-lowering drugs will give the broader kidney community time to find a better solution that works for providers and patients,” said Colin Roskey, Executive Director of KCP. “We appreciate the work of the House Committee on Ways and Means, look forward to continued dialogue about how best to meet patient needs, and now call on the broader Congress to continue the committee’s work and quickly pass this legislation.”