Education Benefit will Empower Patients to Better Manage their Care
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(Business Wire)--
Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) commends the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) on announcing implementation plans for a new Medicare
benefit that will provide Stage 4 chronic kidney disease patients with coverage
for up to six sessions explaining their treatment options, such as
transplantation, home peritoneal dialysis (PD), home hemodialysis (HHD) or
clinic-based hemodialysis (HD).
The Medicare education benefit for chronic kidney disease patients is part of
CMS` 2010 Physician Fee Schedule Rule, which sets payment rates for more than
7,000 types of services in physician offices, hospitals, and other settings. The
rule will go into effect on January 1, 2010.
"These education sessions will provide patients with chronic kidney disease
information they need to understand their treatment options and participate in
better management of their own care," said James Sloand, M.D., senior medical
director of Baxter`s North American Renal business. "This program empowers
individuals to take measures to slow the progression of their kidney failure. It
will also help patients prevent complications seen with chronic kidney disease,
and enable them to proactively work with their physicians in determining which
kidney replacement therapy is best suited to their health and lifestyle."
In the United States, 26 million adults have chronic kidney disease and millions
of others are at increased risk.1 People living with end stage kidney disease
must depend on renal replacement therapies, usually in the form of dialysis, or
transplantation, to make up for lost kidney function in order to survive. When
transplantation is not possible, patients can choose to receive dialysis
treatment at home, or in a dialysis center or hospital. Among the options:
*
Peritoneal Dialysis (PD): Globally, home dialysis is widely used today,
predominantly in the form of PD. PD works inside the body, using the peritoneal
membrane, or abdominal lining, as a natural filter to remove waste from the
bloodstream. In this form of dialysis, blood never leaves the body. Dialysis
fluid enters the peritoneal cavity through a small, plastic tube, called a
catheter, surgically inserted in the abdomen. Extra fluid and waste travels
across the peritoneal membrane into the dialysis fluid, which is then drained
from the abdomen. There are two types of PD therapy, Automated Peritoneal
Dialysis (APD), primarily performed automatically by a machine while a patient
sleeps; and Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD), that is performed
manually three to four times per day by the patient. Both can provide continuous
dialysis, 24 hours a day, similar to the continuous waste removal done by the
kidneys. Some studies have indicated that PD is associated with high levels of
patient satisfaction and personal well-being.2 Home dialysis can offer more
flexibility and time for family and social activities and, additionally, is
associated with continued employment.
* Home Hemodialysis (HHD): HHD presents an additional home-based treatment
option for people living with kidney disease. HHD is a form of HD using a
machine designed for the home. It can be done at night while the patient is
asleep, or during the day. It typically is done three to six times a week and
frees patients from traveling to a dialysis clinic or hospital. The length of
the dialysis varies. If done during the night (nocturnal HD), it can last as
long as the patient wants to sleep, anywhere from five to eight hours. If done
during the day (short daily HD), the treatments are usually from two to four
hours. HHD offers many of the same benefits as PD, with schedule flexibility,
freedom to meet patients` lifestyles and the potential benefits of more
continuous waste removal.
*
In-Center- or Hospital-Based Hemodialysis (HD): HD removes waste and excess
fluid by passage of blood through a filter outside of the body. During a
hemodialysis treatment, blood is removed from the body and pumped by a machine
through a dialyzer. The dialyzer, also known as an artificial kidney, is the
semipermeable membrane that cleans the patient`s blood. Blood is first removed
from the body, then cleaned and returned back to the body with the help of the
dialyzer. A typical HD schedule is a four-hour session, administered three-times
weekly, at a hospital or clinic.
According to a recent study, chronic kidney disease patients often are not
presented with treatment options beyond in-center HD therapy. As a result,
delays in transplants may occur or home dialysis therapies may not be
considered.3 Currently, 98 percent of patients are considered medically eligible
for HD, 87 percent of patients are assessed as medically eligible for PD and 54
percent of patients are judged medically eligible for transplant.4 Many studies
have demonstrated that people living with kidney disease who are informed about
treatment options and are given a choice more often choose a home therapy.
"We believe that the new Medicare benefit will substantially facilitate the
ability of chronic kidney disease patients to select the most appropriate
treatment in consultation with their nephrologist," said Edward R. Jones, M.D.,
president of the Renal Physicians Association. "As with all therapies, patients
should consult their nephrologist before selecting the renal treatment option
best suited for their condition and lifestyle."
Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and
markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia,
immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic
and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company,
Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices,
pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care
worldwide.
1 National Kidney Foundation, National Kidney Foundation: Chronic Kidney
Disease, http://www.kidney.org/kidneyDisease/ckd/index.cfm.
2 Rubin HR, et.al., "Patient ratings of dialysis care with peritoneal dialysis
vs hemodialysis," Journal of the American Medical Association, no. 291 (2004),
697-703. Juergensen E, et.al., "Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis: patients'
assessment of their satisfaction with therapy and the impact of the therapy on
their lives," Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, no. 1
(2006), 1191-1196.
3 Rajnish Mehrotra, et. al. "Patient education and access of ESRD patients to
renal replacement therapies beyond in-center hemodialysis," Kidney
International, 2005, Vol. 68, 378-390
4 David C. Mendelsshon, et.al., "A prospective evaluation of renal replacement
therapy modality eligibility," Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation, August
28, 2008, 1-7.
Baxter International Inc.
Media Contact:
Deborah Spak, (847) 948-2349
or
Investor Contacts:
Mary Kay Ladone, (847) 948-3371
Clare Trachtman, (847) 948-3085
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