NN&I - January 2012

National Compiled by Mark Neumann Oregon asks DoJ to review provider AKF partnership to cover insurance premiums FMC agrees to negotiate on rates after state complains about price for dialysis care The director of the Oregon insurance pool has asked the states Department of Justice to investigate the arrangement that allows dialysis providers to pay funds to the American Kidney Fund to cover insurance premiums for dialysis patients The AKF has been paying the premiums for patients since 1996 The arrangement approved by the federal government allowed dialysis companies access to insured patients without violating any anti kickback statutes The AKF told The Oregonian that it now has about 50000 people who are on dialysis that receive premium grants from the kidney fund which also helps with medication travel assistance and education But Oregon health officials say they are paying providers Fresenius Medical Care North America and DaVita Inc too much for dialysis treatments Last year renal disease surpassed cancer and HIV as being the most costly therapy for the state State insurance officials say they pay about 300000 a year per patient and FMCNA has refused to negotiate a contract for the patients in efforts to keep the fees high Fresenius until very recently has not even returned our calls said Dr Csaba Mera the medical director of the Oregon insurance pool in a comment to the newspaper Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield manages Oregons program In Oregon Fresenius and DaVita serve 92 of dialysis center patients State officials have said however that since the DoJ request for an investigation was made Fresenius has agreed to discuss a contract The AKF pays premiums for about 70 of dialysis patients covered by Oregons insurance pool A year of patient premiums average cost is 7600 according to The Oregonian The state insurance pool serves 68 dialysis patients Panel votes in favor of new EPO drug The U S Food and Drug Administrations Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 15 to one at a meeting Dec 8 with one abstention that Affymaxs peginesatide has a favorable benefit risk profile for use in dialysis patients with anemia due to chronic kidney disease While the FDA is not bound by the recommendations of its advisory committees their guidance will be considered by the FDA in its review of the New Drug Application that was submitted for peginesatide in May The scheduled Prescription Drug User Fee Act date for peginesatide is March 27 The FDA also did a review on Dec 5 of the application saying the drug was as effective as drugs made by Amgen Inc Network 8 merges with QIO End Stage Renal Disease Network 8 based in Jackson Mississippi and covering Alabama Mississippi and Tennessee has merged with Alliant Health Solutions Alliant includes Alliant GMCF The Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Georgia Alliant ASO Alliant Integrity and Alliant Quality As a subsidiary of Alliant Health Solutions Network 8 will retain its identity with current staff continuing operations from its offices in Jackson This merger will allow us to continue to improve the quality and experience of care for all kidney patients in the states we serve said Jerry Fuller Network 8 executive director B U researchers tackling high ESRD mortality in Central America Kidney disease is the second leading cause of death in El Salvador and has jumped by 41 in countries like Nicaragua over the past year But the victims many of them sugar cane workers do not have high blood pressure or diabetes Boston University researchers lead by Daniel Brooks PhD an associate professor of epidemiology in B U s School of Public Health are looking closely at residents of two regions of northwestern Nicaragua Chinandega and Leon who are contracting chronic kidney disease at a rate more than 10 times that in the United States Kidney disease is striking people as young as 20 or 30 years old in these communities So far research indicates many are getting kidney damage from extreme dehydration working in the sugar cane fields for up to 12 hours a day The high rate of deaths linked to kidney disease the countries do not offer dialysis care is part of a investigation by International Consortium of Journalists funded by National Public Radio More information is at www theworld org Nephrology News Issues January 2012 Subscribe to our free eNewsletter at www NephrologyNews com 10