Leading Healthcare Organizations join forces to empower patients with the
option of a home-first approach
San Jose, CA – June 29, 2021 – Today, nine leading healthcare organizations
launched Innovate Kidney Care, a new campaign to improve patient options for
receiving home dialysis training and support. Founding members include the American
Society of Nephrology (ASN), Anthem, Inc., Cricket Health, CVS Kidney Care, Home
Dialyzors United (HDU), Intermountain Healthcare, the National Kidney Foundation
(NKF), Outset Medical, Inc. and Strive Health.
Traditional in-clinic dialysis imposes substantial burdens on patients with kidney failure
and can be both physically and emotionally demanding for them and their care
partners. Safe and effective options exist for patients facing kidney failure to self-dialyze
at home, and these tools offer numerous benefits compared to in-clinic dialysis.
However, these home options are underutilized in the United States for a variety of
reasons, some of which are due to regulations developed decades ago before home
dialysis was a widely available option. For example, the existing Conditions for
Coverage apply a one-size-fits-all set of requirements whether dialysis takes place in a
clinic or at home. Navigating these requirements can be complex for providers and
hinder organizations from offering self-dialysis options, leaving large patient populations
without access to these benefits.
Innovate Kidney Care’s diverse group of industry organizations aims to advocate for the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to modernize the End-Stage Renal
Disease (ESRD) Conditions for Coverage and related guidance in order to achieve the
quadruple aim of better patient outcomes, improved patient experience, improved
health care practitioner experience and lower costs of care.
● Remove barriers to home dialysis training and support so more patients can
benefit from the flexibility and personalization of treatment that home dialysis
can provide.
● Differentiate regulations to expand home dialysis training and support, and
improve patients’ transitions of care.
● Alleviate clinician burden of administrative tasks so they can focus on patient
outcomes, empowerment, and safety.
● Allow for home dialysis training and support to be delivered in a variety of
healthcare settings.
“The dialysis industry has long been stagnant when it comes to delivering innovation to
patients,” said Tonya Saffer, spokesperson for Innovate Kidney Care. “We now have
new, patient-centered dialysis technologies, and healthcare providers who want to
innovate care delivery, in order to enable more options for where and how self-dialysis
can be trained and supported. We can accelerate home adoption by clarifying guidance
and updating outdated regulatory restrictions for both patients and providers. Innovate
Kidney Care’s goal is to advocate for modernizing the Conditions for Coverage,
empowering patients – regardless of race, ethnicity, or income – to have a choice in
adopting home dialysis and reaping the benefits of having more time for living versus
dialyzing.”
To learn more about Innovate Kidney Care, visit innovatekidneycare.com. Follow us on
Twitter @InnovateKidney.
Media Contact
Nadia Conard
Inkhouse
See Press Release Below