Plans, Patients At Odds Over HHS End-Stage Renal Disease Distance Rule

Dialysis patients are clashing with insurers in an ongoing lawsuit over whether a CMS rule inappropriately steers patients to in-home dialysis treatment by stating that Medicare Advantage plans no longer must cover treatments at clinics located near patients’ homes. Dialysis patients say the CMS rule discriminates against them by eliminating MA plans’ time and distance limits for dialysis facilities. But health insurance plans assert in an amicus brief supporting HHS that the rule encourages in-home treatment and creates a higher-functioning...