TY - JOUR
T1 - Future of medicare immunosuppressive drug coverage for kidney transplant recipients in the United States
AU - Tanriover, Bekir
AU - Stone, Patricia W.
AU - Mohan, Sumit
AU - Cohen, David J.
AU - Gaston, Robert S.
PY - 2013/7
Y1 - 2013/7
N2 - Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for patients with ESRD. It improves the quality of life in recipients, increases patient survival, and is also substantially less costly than maintenance dialysis. Long-term transplant success requires immunosuppressant drug therapy for the life of the allograft. Under current law, Medicare coverage formost recipients (except for those recipients over 65 years of age or with nonkidney-related disabilities) lasts only 3 years, leaving many recipients unable to afford these medications. Lack of drug therapy often leads to allograft rejection, resulting in premature graft failure, return to dialysis, or death. This article reviews the current policy for Medicare immunosuppressive drug coverage and analyzes the potential impact of pending legislative proposals H.R. 2969 and S. 1454 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
AB - Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for patients with ESRD. It improves the quality of life in recipients, increases patient survival, and is also substantially less costly than maintenance dialysis. Long-term transplant success requires immunosuppressant drug therapy for the life of the allograft. Under current law, Medicare coverage formost recipients (except for those recipients over 65 years of age or with nonkidney-related disabilities) lasts only 3 years, leaving many recipients unable to afford these medications. Lack of drug therapy often leads to allograft rejection, resulting in premature graft failure, return to dialysis, or death. This article reviews the current policy for Medicare immunosuppressive drug coverage and analyzes the potential impact of pending legislative proposals H.R. 2969 and S. 1454 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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U2 - 10.2215/CJN.09440912
DO - 10.2215/CJN.09440912
M3 - Article
C2 - 23559679
AN - SCOPUS:84879832653
VL - 8
SP - 1258
EP - 1266
JO - Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
JF - Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
SN - 1555-9041
IS - 7
ER -