DaVita Responds to US District Court, Eastern District of Texas Ruling Protecting Dialysis Patients from Discrimination by Insurance Companies

DENVER, Jan. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is attributable to DaVita.

On behalf of our patients we are pleased that the court took the important step of putting a hold on a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule that would have harmed thousands of the sickest patients in America.

The court not only suspended the rule from going into effect but determined that it is "arbitrary and capricious" and should be vacated. The court also found that it would "leave thousands of Medicare-ineligible [dialysis] patients without health insurance," that the government "has long accepted the practice of charitable premium assistance," and that CMS offered no explanation for the change in policy.

Nevertheless the threat to dialysis patients by health insurance providers still exists. We ask the new administration and CMS to not only eliminate this rule, but to take action to prevent insurance companies from discriminating against a vulnerable group of patients and ensure continued access to charitable premium assistance that has served as an essential patient safety net for the last 20 years.

About DaVita Kidney Care
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® company that, through its operating divisions, provides a variety of health care services to patient populations throughout the United States and abroad. A leading provider of dialysis services in the United States, DaVita Kidney Care treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita Kidney Care strives to improve patients' quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and convenient health-management services. As of September 30, 2016, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,318 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 186,000 patients. The company also operated 139 outpatient dialysis centers located in 11 countries outside the United States. DaVita Kidney Care supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The company's leadership development initiatives and social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please visit DaVita.com.

Contact Information
Skip Thurman
Skip.Thurman@davita.com 
(303) 876-6610

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SOURCE DaVita Kidney Care