Fight Over Dialysis Payments Draws In The Big Guns
Lawmakers in the California Senate health committee are set to vote Wednesday on a measure that would crack down on third-party premium assistance for dialysis patients. The bill has the backing of insurers and powerful labor groups.
Modern Healthcare:
Debate Over Third-Party Payments For Dialysis Patients Revived In Washington As Calif. Eyes Limits
The fight over third-party premium assistance for dialysis patients is heating up this week in California and Washington, D.C. as employers and labor unions get involved. The broadening interest in the issue shows the mounting financial stakes for the insurance and dialysis industries. The focus has expanded from dialysis patients in the Obamacare individual market to those in the employer market. The sheer market size of dialysis giants DaVita and Fresenius means commercial insurers often pay at least double the Medicare rates. Lawmakers in the California Senate health committee will vote Wednesday on a measure that would crack down on third-party premium assistance for dialysis patients. (Luthi, 4/17)