Many Chronic Kidney Disease patients who conduct Dialysis must contend with Insurance Coverage charges. The American Kidney Fund, however, suggested that "tens of thousands" of Dialysis patients in the United States cannot afford necessary life preserving insurance without Financial Assistance. Fortunately, the American Kidney Fund has developed the Health Insurance Premium Program (HIPP) in order to help more than 70,000 low-income Dialysis patients each year maintain their health insurance coverage. The Insurance Companies do not appear to like such assistance and in a cleaver way of shedding low income clients, many are now refusing to accept payments directly from "Third-Party Payers" such as charities like the American Kidney Fund. This could compromise the health and even survival of many thousands of Dialysis patients.
"We believe their motivation is to drop the sickest patients from their rolls, a violation of federal law," said the advocacy organization, Dialysis Patient Citizens. While charities like the American Kidney Fund and Nonprofit Hospitals offer to pay premiums (monthly costs) to ensure coverage for patients including those on Dialysis that are unable to afford Health Insurance costs, many Insurers are very much opposed to the idea.
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Insurance Companies have noted that "they can't make a profit unless the health-insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act draw a balanced mix of healthy and sicker customers," reported the Wall Street Journal. Hence, Financial Assistance from charities could rapidly skew the mix toward people in worse health which are more expensive to treat, "outpacing the arrival of younger, healthier people who might not cross paths with hospitals."
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However for those who conduct Dialysis, affording their Health Insurance premium could mean the difference between living and dying, wouldn't you agree? Therefore, sign the below petition to request that your Member of Congress sign a letter drafted by Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA 6th District) to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services urging intervention so that insurance carriers will continue accepting third-party payments from independent, public charities like the American Kidney Fund.
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