Fresenius, DaVita, American Kidney Fund subpoenaed over premium assistance
The U.S. Department of Justice has requested documents from the country’s two largest dialysis chains on their relationship to the American Kidney Fund and whether the fund favored their patients over others in premium assistance programs.
The New York Times reports the requests follow an earlier story on the fund choosing which patients to help buy health insurance based on whether they use Fresenius, DaVita, or another clinic for their treatment. That kind of favoritism would violate the fund’s agreement with the federal government.
The premium assistance program itself has been under attack, with insurers accusing providers of “steering” patients into private plans when they could qualify for Medicare or Medicaid.
For more on the government’s interest in the dialysis chains, click on the link below:
John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.