Kidney Care Partners Encourages U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee to Address Inclusion of Oral-Only Drugs in Medicare ESRD Payment Bundle

Washington, DC, March 12, 2024 –Kidney Care Partners (KCP) – the nation’s leading kidney care multi-stakeholder coalition representing patient advocates, physician organizations, health professional groups, dialysis providers, researchers and manufacturers – calls on members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to take action and advance policy that would delay for two years inclusion of oral-only drugs in the End State Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) bundle.

The Committee is expected to consider H.R. 5074, the Kidney PATIENT Act that would delay a current policy that compromises access to oral-only phosphate-lowering drugs, which are essential for positive patient outcomes. Without congressional action, this harmful policy would exacerbate the challenges the kidney community already faces, including diminished access to innovative therapies, insufficient reimbursement, and limited or nonexistent choice of insurance coverage for patients.

Historically, KCP has expressed concerns that variability in the oral-only, phosphate-lowering drugs impacted by this policy will create administrative and financial burdens for providers and potentially clinical burdens on patients. These drugs are taken by most patients on dialysis multiple times per day to manage blood phosphate levels.

“Kidney Care Partners encourages all Energy and Commerce members to vote to support delaying this policy and creating an opportunity for the broader kidney community to find a workable solution for providers and patients,” said Colin Roskey, Executive Director of KCP.