Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act

This bill protects people with kidney failure who need dialysis. It says private health plans cannot treat dialysis worse than other covered care, and they cannot try to push these patients onto Medicare to avoid paying. Plans must give the same benefits to people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as they do to everyone else.

It also makes clear that a plan can choose which dialysis clinics are in its network. It does not force plans to include any specific clinic or a certain number of clinics. The federal government would enforce these rules.

Key points

• Who is affected: People with ESRD who receive dialysis, and those covered by private or employer health plans.
• What changes: Plans cannot single out dialysis for worse coverage or shift costs to Medicare; they still control which dialysis providers are in-network.
• When: These protections would apply if the bill becomes law.