Jul 15, 2024, 10:31 AM:
Rep. Crow,
I have a couple of things - some good news for a change! I've been writing to you about the conditions in kidney dialysis (horrendous). And the need to get rid of things like the Stark Law exemption the nephrologists got, which by the way I wrote a blog about - compared it to a town with two restaurants. I've written that the exemption to the Stark Law stifles innovations like 'Community Dialysis Houses'.
First good news item: There is a Community Dialysis House in the US that has been going since 2009! This looks like something that could definitely help rural Coloradoans who have to make long commutes to a clinic! Not to mention so many others! And possibly a pilot program wouldn't be needed since we've had something going right under our noses for 15 years? (if you count Hawaii as right under our noses)
Second good news item: Lina Khan at the FTC and friends are going after the big for-profit dialysis companies for the non-compete contracts they have been making the doctors sign!
But the main takeaway is you could bring Community Dialysis Houses to Colorado!
Regards,
Chris Schwab
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| Jun 8, 2024, 2:21 PM |
Rep. Crow,
Besides having not even kids being spared in kidney dialysis, I thought I ought to mention another God-awful problem that has been around for decades: dialysis patient terminations. I came close to almost seeing this firsthand years ago when my daughter was in a clinic and I made the mistake of asking too many questions - and not liking the answers. The charge nurse threatened to kick my daughter out of the clinic, though she and the doctor relented later.
The article I linked to had this to say about terminations:
"This profit motive makes involuntary discharge a very American problem. In countries such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, the vast majority of clinics must accept everyone. Involuntary discharge “would not be tolerated in the Canadian health care system,” Bear says. “There would be outrage beyond description.”"
And:
"In his nephrology practice in Alberta, Bear saw plenty of patients prone to outbursts and disruptive behavior. What he didn’t see over his four-decade career, he told me, was a single involuntary discharge. He attributes this to lower patient-to-staff ratios. The bulk of care in Canadian dialysis clinics is performed by highly paid and well-trained nurses, Bear says. Technicians are responsible for maintaining the machines, not attending patients. This, and the absence of profiteering, he says, has rendered involuntary discharge nearly nonexistent." (all of this for higher costs here in the US of course)
Journalist Carrie Arnold wrote much of the article I quoted, she and others were also responsible for a series of articles put out by Scientific American and Undark.
So what are the solutions? They are mentioned in the 2nd half of the article I'm linking to. The first half of the article summarizes the press conference NYT's best-selling author Tom Mueller had with the labor union SEIU with DC earlier in the year, Tom Mueller has the book 'How to Make a Killing' out. A book we left with your staff in DC on February 29th. A book we hope you and your staff had time to look over!
Sincerely,
Chris Schwab
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| Thu, Apr 18, 9:36 AM |
Rep. Crow,
I hope the Tom Mueller book 'How to Make a Killing' we left off February 29th at your DC office is making the rounds with you and your staff! It does talk about what this 20+ year kidney dialysis advocate has seen - and then some.
I did want to mention the petition we have out there is approaching 200 signatures! Possibly people are starting to get appalled by how even kids haven't been spared in all this. It is right people are up in arms about all the children dying overseas, they might now see it happening here right under our noses. Also they might see this as what just might be one of the worst, if not the worst abuse of concentrated monopolistic corporate power imaginable!
And finally I'll mention a couple of people on social media requested I put together a short summary of why people might want to sign the petition and get involved in this: so in a nutshell.
Sincerely,
Chris Schwab
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Mar 18, 2024, 8:51 PM
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Rep. Crow
I thought I would warn you about a bill that looks like it is in the works that appears to only benefit Big Dialysis. Author Tom Mueller had this to say about it: "The (March) 20th event, being held by Big Dialysis is to try to justify their bogus law (which claims to avoid discrimination against patients who aren’t on private insurance, but actually is about locking in their profits):
I thought you might appreciate the heads-up.
Chris Schwab
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| Thu, Mar 7, 12:58 PM |
Rep. Crow,
I just wanted to remind you again of the possible allies you might have in doing things like taking down things like the Stark Law exemption nephrologists have. One ally I may have mentioned is Senator Chuck Grassley who headed up the committee that heard the 2000 hearing. At his age maybe he could be haunted by the ghost of Charlie Munger too! Sorry, just have to have a little fun now and then. You could always bring up you like Senator Grassley's work with the False Claims Act which author Tom Mueller brought up in his book 'Crisis of Conscience'. I've got to give Senator Grassley credit for that one! You could mention to Senator Grassley and our friends that taking away the Stark Law exemption would foster competition with doctors and patients free to choose the best clinics and treatments for them like 'Community Dialysis Houses' - which I could see the clinics not liking.
Sincerely,
Chris Schwab
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