On May 10, the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) issued a report indicating that extending coverage of immunosuppressive drugs under Medicare for ESRD patients would save the program approximately $73 million over a ten year period. Currently, when a patient receives a kidney transplant, Medicare coverage extends for 36 months post-transplant, but for those patients who are not Medicare-eligible for other reasons, loss of this coverage can lead to a rejection of the transplant and a return to dialysis. Extension of coverage for immunosuppressive drugs for ESRD patients has been an RPA legislative priority for years, and will be a f ocus of RPA advocacy efforts during the association’s annual Capitol Hill Day on June 21.
Florida Women in Nephrology Chair
FSN President
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