Improving Medicare Access to Innovative Kidney Care and Disease Prevention.
This law aims to enhance care for patients with kidney disease, particularly those requiring dialysis. It establishes extended and permanent funding mechanisms for new, innovative dialysis drugs and equipment, ensuring beneficiaries have access to the latest treatments. Furthermore, it expands Medicare annual wellness visits to include kidney disease screening and increases access to crucial patient education.
Key points
Extended and permanent payment adjustments for innovative dialysis drugs and devices, increasing their availability to Medicare patients.
Inclusion of chronic kidney disease screening in the standard Medicare annual wellness benefit (effective January 1, 2026).
Expanded access to kidney disease education, including for patients in Stage V, and allowing dialysis facilities to provide and bill for these services separately.
Implementation of a payment adjustment mechanism to ensure dialysis providers are compensated accurately for rising operational costs, including labor.
Introduced
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