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California Attorney General approves placing initiative on limiting dialysis profits on upcoming ballot
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The California Attorney General has approved placement of a question on the Nov. 8 ballot asking voters if they believe profits at dialysis centers should be restricted.
The California Secretary of State’s office certified that supporters had collected the necessary 365,880 valid voter signatures to place the measure on the statewide ballot. Nearly 600,000 signatures were submitted.
The Fair Pricing for Dialysis Act, which has major support from the state’s Service Employees International Union – United Healthcare Workers West, would limit dialysis corporations’ revenues to 15% above the amount they spend on patient care, and requires that any amount above that be refunded. Any money spent on increasing staffing, training or upgrading equipment or facilities would not be counted toward the 15% figure, according to the ballot question.
Supporters say the legislation is primarily aimed at DaVita Kidney Care and Fresenius Kidney Care, which own and operate 72% of the clinics in the state. A coalition of ER doctors, physicians, nurses, patient advocacy groups and dialysis clinics have been opposed to the legislation.
“For patients whose kidneys have failed, receiving dialysis is necessary to live. Missing even one appointment could be harmful or fatal. By limiting access to dialysis care, this dangerous proposition puts patients’ lives at risk,” Theodore M. Mazer, MD, president of the California Medical Association, said in an April 26 press release. “Excluding the physician medical director, who is required to oversee patient treatment in every dialysis clinic, is proof that this measure is seriously flawed and would hurt both access to care, as well as quality of care, for dialysis patients who are ill. This proposition is dangerous and must be defeated.”
“This ballot proposition puts the health and wellbeing of dialysis patients at risk, in what appears to be an aggressive effort to gain bargaining leverage for its union supporters. The unintended consequence of this effort is that patient care will suffer. We cannot afford to take such chances with the lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens,” Hrant Jamgochian, CEO of Dialysis Patient Citizens, said in an April 3 press release.
The legislation has been opposed by about 100 organizations.
References:
https://nodialysisproposition.com/2018/04/03/press-release-0403/