An Act to amend titles II and XVIII of the Social Security Act to make improvements in the end stage renal disease program presently authorized under section 226 of that Act, and for other purposes.

Summary

Amends Titles II and XVIII (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance, and Medicare, respectively) of the Social Security Act to specify the types of treatment and amount of coverage which will be provided for individuals disabled by end stage renal disease. Defines the time at which coverage begins for programs of renal dialysis, and for kidney transplant operations. States that coverage for home dialysis programs shall begin with the month in which such program begins. Extends coverage for a regular course of renal dialysis to individuals who received a kidney transplant in the case of the failure of such transplant. Extends coverage under the Medicare program to kidney donors. Authorizes the making of payments under the Medicare program to providers of services and renal dialysis facilities on behalf of individuals who have end-stage renal disease. Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to establish annually a target reimbursement rate for home dialysis. Sets forth factors to be considered by the Secretary in determining such rate. Directs the Secretary to establish renal disease network areas, including a medical review board for each area, and a national end stage renal disease medical information system. Defines the goals of the network organizations and medical review boards to be the assurance of the most appropriate form of renal disease treatment for each individual having such disease, and the identification of treatment facilities and providers that are not cooperating toward meeting network goals. Declares it to be a national objective to have a majority of new patients being accepted for end-stage renal disease treatment in self-dialysis settings or in preparation for, or undertaking, kidney transplantation. Directs the Secretary, where it is found that self-training programs in any network are of insufficient capacity or are not distributed throughout the network in a manner which assures that self- dialysis training is adequate to meet the needs of individuals with renal disease, to place in effect a program under which self-dialysis training is provided in renal disease facilities or providers which shall be designated for this purpose. Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to establish a medical review board to assess the appropriateness of patients for proposed treatment procedures, and to review and evaluate the comparative performance of facilities and physicians. Directs the Secretary to establish pilot projects under which assistance is provided to individuals in the purchase of home dialysis equipment. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress annually on the end stage renal disease program.

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Documents

3 official files

• Public Law (PDF)

  Public Law · EN · 14 June 1978

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• House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment

  summary · EN · 1 May 1978

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 19 July 1977

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