DENVER, Jan. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, a group
representing dialysis patients and providers filed suit seeking an
emergency temporary restraining order in the United States District
Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division against the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Interim Final Rule, which
was issued in violation of federal law, according to the suit, and
threatens to cause significant and irreparable harm to dialysis
patients.
The "midnight" rule was issued on December 14th bypassing the normal
notice and comment period and is set to take effect days before the
change in presidential administrations. If permitted to take
effect, this rule will cause immediate harm to dialysis patients,
some of the most vulnerable patients in the United States, by causing great disruption
in their care, exposing them to additional costs and potentially
denying them access to health insurance. The plaintiff group
seeks an injunction to at least defer the effective date of the
rule so as to allow proper time for notice and
comment.
"We felt we had no choice but to challenge this hastily
implemented rule to protect the interests of our patients and those
of the greater kidney care community," said Philipp Stephanus, senior vice president in
charge of patient support functions at DaVita.
Additionally, DaVita announced it had received a subpoena from
the United States Attorney for the
District of Massachusetts seeking
the production of information related to charitable premium
assistance. The company looks forward to working with the
government to allow for clarity on these complex issues.
About DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA)
DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of
DaVita Kidney Care and HealthCare
Partners, a DaVita Medical Group. DaVita
Kidney Care is a leading provider of kidney care in
the United States, delivering
dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end
stage renal disease. As of Sept. 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. HealthCare Partners manages and operates medical
groups and affiliated physician networks in California, Nevada, New
Mexico, Florida,
Colorado and Washington in its pursuit to deliver
excellent-quality health care in a dignified and compassionate
manner. As of Sept. 30, 2016,
HealthCare Partners provided integrated care management for
approximately 750,000 patients. For more information, please visit
www.davita.com.
DaVita is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc.
Contact Information
Media:
Skip Thurman
(303) 876-6610
skip.thurman@davita.com
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dialysis-community-seeks-emergency-relief-to-block-cms-unlawful-midnight-rule-harming-patients-300387240.html
SOURCE DaVita Inc.