Greater access to transplantation should be a priority: A view of the Dialysis PATIENTS Demonstration Act

Abstract

Fragmentation of care has been cited as a rationale toward moving to new care models with care coordination and a focus on value-based care delivery. This trend is gathering momentum in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) care given evident care gaps and the variety of healthcare entities that touch patients with ESRD in the course of their treatment. Although care models supported by chronic condition special needs plans and ESRD seamless care organizations (ESCOs) have advanced care and cost-effectiveness, their shortcomings limit their ability to support larger patient populations. New care models and potential organizational structures, such as those proposed in the Dialysis Patient Access To Integrated-care, Empowerment, Nephrologists, Treatments, and Services (PATIENTS) Demonstration Act, provide another approach toward reducing fragmentation of care, increasing patient health, and helping define better approaches to care for patients with ESRD so that they have the opportunity to be better transplant candidates. We recognize that this type of innovation represents change without certainty. We also believe that multiple levels of accountability, ongoing support for transplantation, and continued freedom of access to transplant professionals who participate in Medicare would prioritize patient health, quality of life, and choice with regard to transplantation with this care model.