Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, along with Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Dean Heller (R-NV), this week introduced the Dialysis Patient Access to Integrated-care, Empowerment, Nephrologists, and Treatment Services (PATIENTS) Demonstration Act to deliver high-quality, integrated care to patients receiving dialysis for end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
“This bipartisan legislation would help the thousands of Coloradans making burdensome trips to a dialysis clinic to receive necessary care,” Bennet said. “As we continue to think holistically about health care-from care coordination to quality of life-this legislation is a practical step to improving health outcomes for some of the most vulnerable patients.”
Currently, patients who receive dialysis to treat ESRD spend three days a week at a dialysis clinic and still must make time for their other medical and social needs. The Dialysis PATIENTS Demonstration Act would establish an ESRD integrated care demonstration program where interdisciplinary teams, led by a nephrologist, would provide holistic management for all of the patient’s health care needs. The program would utilize the dialysis facility as a central command point for patients to access the coordinated health care services. This practical approach to care delivery would improve health outcomes, reduce hospitalizations and readmissions, and increase quality of life for ESRD patients.
A companion bill was introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Jason Smith (R-MO), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA).
A one-page summary of the bill is available HERE.