SEIU Healthcare Joins with Kidney Patients to Stop Profit-Gouging by Dialysis Providers
Patients that suffer from chronic kidney disease and need dialysis care most likely get that care from either DaVita or Fresenius, the two corporations that dominate kidney dialysis services:
Now DaVita and Fresenius are trying to use their lobbying muscle to push for changes that would boost their profits but reduce access to quality, cost-effective dialysis care.
SEIU Healthcare has joined with the American Association of Kidney Patients and some major employers to protect access to affordable dialysis.
Juan Basilem, a former hospital technician--who is himself a kidney patient--spoke last month at a Capitol Hill news briefing about the importance of affordable care.
"We run the risk of allowing these two companies to dramatically increase the cost of providing care and send the bill to employers and workers," Basilem told reporters. "To me, this is completely backwards. We would weaken a program that safeguards patients and holds down costs, just so we can allow two corporations to cash in on our needs."
Medicare provides most care for end-stage renal disease --even for patients who aren't yet 65--because otherwise dialysis is not affordable for many patients. DaVita and Fresenius want Congress to force patients to stay on private insurance longer before they can get access to care through Medicare. The companies would cash in because they charge private insurers much more than they can charge Medicare.