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American Kidney Fund Unveils Results from First LargeScale Survey on...

People with end stage renal disease (ESRD), also known as kidney failure, are experiencing significant challenges with the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, according to results from a nationwide survey released today by the American Kidney Fund (www.kidneyfund.org) conducted a survey of nearly 700 social workers from dialysis centers and transplant centers nationwide to determine how people with kidney failure were faring under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. Social workers were surveyed because of their understanding of kidney patient issues, and because social workers are responsible for helping patients complete applications for Medicare Part D and other assistance programs. The social workers surveyed work with more than 58,000 kidney patients, or approximately 15 percent of the total number of kidney failure patients covered under Medicare Part D.

Social workers were asked to rate their patients' experiences along a spectrum in order to assess whether patients were having problems, and if so, to what degree of severity and frequency when it came to access to care, out-of-pocket costs, and navigating the Medicare Part D landscape.

The American Kidney Fund then retained independent health policy analysis firm Avalere Health to analyze the data collected and write a report.

American Kidney Fund Survey Results:

-    Nearly 60 percent of kidney failure patients have problems paying for their medications while in the coverage gap;

-    Kidney failure patients are likely to be unaware of the Part D program-or, when they are aware and seek to enroll, they are likely to experience administrative difficulties during the enrollment phase;

-    Overwhelmingly, kidney failure patients face significant problems accessing medications through their plan's formulary;

-    Many patients are having difficulties paying premiums or deductibles.

"Many kidney failure patients need more education to understand the complex topic of Medicare prescription drug assistance and how they can benefit from the Part D program," said Ms. Burton. "There also is a need for assistance with out-of-pocket costs for medications covered under Part D, and the American Kidney Fund is taking steps to provide this assistance."

The American Kidney Fund used the findings from this survey to develop its Medicare Part D Grant Program for Prescription Bone Disease Medications. This program, open to eligible dialysis patients in the United States, offers up to $2,000 per year in Part D in prescription assistance for the costs of bone disease medications, which are frequently taken by dialysis patients.

Most significantly, the American Kidney Fund's Part D Grant Program helps enrollees with their costs while in the coverage gap, and assistance from the program counts toward patients' "true out-of-pocket" (TrOOP) costs. Under Part D, out-of-pocket costs must be categorized as TrOOP costs in order for the patient to move to the catastrophic coverage level under which Medicare covers 95 percent of drug costs.

For dialysis patients who are not currently in the coverage gap, the grants from the American Kidney Fund's program can be applied to the patient share of the cost to obtain bone disease medications. This program covers commonly prescribed bone disease medications, including Fosrenol, Hectorol, Phoslo, Renagel, Sensipar and Zemplar. Complete eligibility requirements and applications are available at www.kidneyfund.org

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