Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Renal Policy Express, sent on behalf of the ASN's Public Policy Board.
In This Issue...
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Policy Board Update
Learn about the ASN Public Policy Board's newest members and the board's advocacy efforts for World Kidney Day.
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Regulatory Issues
Read about recent kidney disease legislation and the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative Webpage.
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NIH/Research Related Issues
The ASN announces the appointment of its former President to the NIDDK Advisory Council and joins with other organizations to request funding for public health.
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Other Congressional Actions
This section discusses recent budgetary actions taken by Congress and the Administration.
1. Policy Board Update
Member Update
The ASN Public Policy Board is pleased to announce two new members — Lynda Szczech, MD, MCSE, FASN and William Harmon, MD. They will be filling the spots previously held by Don Wesson, MD, now the Secretary-Treasurer of the ASN, and Norm Siegel, MD, who unexpectedly passed away last year.
Dr. Szczech is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center and the Director of Nephrology Research at Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, NC. She is currently the chair of the ASN's Dialysis Advisory Group.
Dr. William Harmon is Chief, Division of Nephrology and a Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. He is a former president of the American Society of Transplantation (AST).
World Kidney Day Update
The ASN Policy Board will be bringing eleven nephrologists to Washington, D.C. on World Kidney Day (March 8, 2007). These physicians will meet with various Senators and Representatives to raise awareness of kidney disease and to advocate for research. In many instances, they will be accompanied on these visits by patient representatives from the National Kidney Foundation and the DaVita Patient Citizens. More information will be available on the ASN website as the day approaches, including press releases and fact sheets.
Please visit www.worldkidneyday.org for more information on worldwide activities in recognition of World Kidney Day.
2. Regulatory Issues
Senator Blanche Lincoln Introduces Kidney Disease Educational Benefits Act of 2007
On January 30, 2007, Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) introduced a bill “To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for kidney disease education services under the Medicare program, and for other purposes.” (S.432) The bill would provide coverage for individuals with kidney disease to receive comprehensive information regarding: the management of comorbidities, the prevention of uremic complications, and options for renal replacement therapy. It would also ensure that the individuals have the opportunity to actively participate in their choice of therapy.
You can read the text of the bill by clicking here and searching for bill S.432.
The legislation was read twice and then referred to the Committee on Finance.
CMS Establishes 2007 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) Webpage
The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, signed by President Bush on December 20th, authorized the establishment of a physician quality reporting system by CMS. The title of this program is the 2007 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI).
PQRI encourages voluntary quality reporting by providing a financial incentive for eligible professionals who successfully report a designated set of quality measures on claims for dates of service from July 1 to December 31, 2007.
CMS has now created a webpage, to be updated regularly, that provides information on this program. You can view it here.
3. NIH/Research Related Issues
Former ASN President Named to NIDDK Advisory Council
William E. Mitch, MD, is one of seven new members appointed to the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Dr. Mitch was President of the ASN from 2003-2004 and has been an active participant in the society in many different capacities. He is also the Gordon A. Cain Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Nephrology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
Established by law and charter, the NIDDK Advisory Council meets three times annually to advise the NIDDK about its research portfolio. It also provides second-level peer review of grant applications that have been scored by scientific review groups. Members are drawn from the scientific and lay communities and are appointed for four-year terms.
You can view the entire NIH News Release regarding the seven new Advisory Council members here.
ASN Joins Long List of Organizations in Request for Public Health Funding
The ASN recently added its name to a letter to Congress requesting an increase in funding for public health through the Function 550/discretionary budget allocation in Fiscal Year 2008. The letter states that an additional $4 billion, or 7.8 percent, will be needed in FY 2008 to restore funding cuts to public health programs enacted in FY 2006, restore lost purchasing power, and reverse the erosion of support for the continuum of biomedical, behavioral and health services research, community-based disease prevention and health promotion, basic and targeted services for the medically uninsured and those with disabilities, health professions education, and robust regulation of the nation's food and drug supply.
You can view the letter and the list of the many groups supporting it here.
4. Other Congressional Actions
FY 2007 Joint Funding Resolution (H.J. Res. 20) Becomes Law
The Joint Funding resolution, necessary to fund much of the federal government for the rest of FY 2007, was signed into law by President Bush on February 15, 2007. This replaced the expiring continuing resolution (PL 109-383). It was approved by the House on January 31st and the Senate on February 14th. The $463.5 billion spending package provides $28.9 billion for NIH in FY 2007, an increase in $620 million over FY 2006.
Administration Releases Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Request
On February 5, 2007, President Bush released his budget request for FY 2008. The proposal included cuts for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Medicare. The ASN Policy Board circulated earlier a more comprehensive summary of the proposed budget. You can read that email here.
You can read a summary from the American Medical Association here.
And Finally,
We hope that you have enjoyed this version of ASN's Renal Policy Express. Past issues will be archived on the ASN website for your reference. Please refer any questions or comments about material from this newsletter to policy@asn-online.org.
Paul Smedberg , Director, Policy and Public Affairs
Susan Owens, Policy and Public Affairs Coordinator
