Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Rule Limiting Groups Paying Premiums For Dialysis Patients
The judge blocked the rule for two weeks. The rule would require dialysis providers to disclose to insurers any charitable assistance their patients are receiving to help pay for their coverage. Federal officials have raised concerns that such assistance may push patients away from Medicare or Medicaid coverage to private insurers, who end up paying more for the treatments.
Reuters:
U.S. Judge Blocks Rule On Financial Assistance For Dialysis Patients
A U.S. judge on Thursday put on hold a new federal rule that dialysis providers have said would prevent dialysis patients from using charitable assistance to buy private health insurance. U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant in Sherman, Texas stopped the rule from taking effect Friday as planned. The decision is a victory for dialysis providers Fresenius Medical Care, DaVita Inc and U.S. Renal Care Inc, which filed a lawsuit to block the rule last week. (Pierson, 1/12)
The Wall Street Journal:
Judge Blocks Rule That Could Limit Premium Assistance For Dialysis Patients
The order puts the fate of the rule into question, because the incoming Trump administration’s stance on it isn’t clear. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services said officials there were “disappointed the court temporarily stayed implementation of this important rule while scheduling further proceedings to consider the parties’ positions.” A spokesman for DaVita said the ruling was “good news for the thousands of patients who would be harmed by the implementation of the rule.” (Wilde Mathews, 1/12)
