An investigation highlighted concerns about for-profit dialysis clinics in the U.S., which are linked to worse patient outcomes and reduced transplant access. DaVita and Fresenius, controlling over 60% of dialysis centers,...more
8/15/2025
/ Acquisitions ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
CMMI ,
Competition ,
Dialysis ,
Dialysis Providers ,
For-Profit Corporations ,
Fresenius ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Mergers ,
Nurses ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
Patient Access ,
Patient Safety ,
Public Health
A New Hope in Kidney Transplants: The Promise of Xenotransplantation -
Joe’s struggle for a kidney transplant highlights a dire reality: donor shortages are leaving countless patients in limbo. Enter Dr. PK, a pioneering...more
2/14/2025
/ Animal Health ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Clinical Trials ,
Dialysis ,
Dialysis Providers ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Technology ,
Healthcare ,
Innovative Technology ,
Life Sciences ,
Medical Devices ,
Medical Research ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
Professional Conferences ,
Public Health
Senators not giving up on reversing CMS physician payment cuts during lame duck session -
Forty-one U.S. Senators from both sides of the aisle are urging the upper chamber’s leadership to allow a bill to be introduced...more
RPA Perspective: 2025 Medicare Fee Schedule and ESRD PPS Final Rules—Highlights for Nephrology -
The final rule for the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule was released on November 1, and the highlights from the rule...more
11/18/2024
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Dialysis ,
Dialysis Providers ,
ESRD ,
Fresenius ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medical Research ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Physicians ,
Telehealth
As value-based care (VBC) models continue to grow across our nation’s health system and specifically within different specialties like nephrology, the costs and challenges of maintaining these models continue to rise. In...more
8/13/2024
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Dialysis ,
Dialysis Providers ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Kickbacks ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Private Equity ,
Spinoffs ,
Value-Based Care ,
Whistleblowers
KCP supports House bill to restore original intent of Medicare Secondary Payer Act -
Kidney Care Partners (KCP) commends the 36 co-sponsors of the bill before the House, who come from both sides of the aisle and represent...more
6/11/2024
/ Class Action ,
Compensation ,
Data Breach ,
Data-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Dialysis Providers ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
Minimum Wage ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
PHI ,
Physicians ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Ransomware ,
Wage and Hour
FTC final rule banning noncompetes grandfathers existing agreements for senior execs -
The FTC voted 3-2 in favor of the final rule, which bans noncompete clauses in employee contracts in most cases. While the rule would...more
Five NJ nephrology practices combine under Northeast Kidney Care banner -
The combined company claims to be the largest independent group of nephrologists in the state, with 26 locations. ...more
Federal Law increases competition in organ procurement, transplant system; NKF, ASN approve -
The President signed the bipartisan bill into law on Sept. 22. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) was...more
FTC, DoJ propose changes to HSR Act for more effective, efficient merger reviews -
The FTC, along with the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division, proposed changes to the premerger notification form and...more
9/8/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dialysis ,
Dialysis Providers ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Medicare ,
Merger Reviews ,
Organ Donation ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
Partnerships ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Startups
NY non-compete ban still receiving pushback as Governor waits to sign off -
While NY Governor Kathy Hochul waits to sign off on one of the country’s toughest bans on non-compete agreements, many lobby groups from the...more
8/7/2023
/ Business Model ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Dialysis ,
Dialysis Providers ,
ESRD ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Medicare ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Organ Donation ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
Spinoffs
Benesch: MN ban on non-compete agreements includes carveout for business sale, dissolution -
Benesch Law notes the bill only awaits the signature of MN’s Governor and could become law as early as July 1. It would prevent...more
6/9/2023
/ Capital Raising ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Dialysis ,
Dialysis Providers ,
ESRD ,
Fraud ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Medicare ,
No-Poaching ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Organ Donation ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
Private Equity ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Spinoffs
Benesch: Changes to state laws mean IL employers should review their employment practices -
In IL, legislation affecting workplaces went into effect at the beginning of the year, including:
..The minimum wage was...more
Benesch: DOL proposed rule aims to clarify independent contractor classification -
The Department of Labor (DOL) proposes changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act to clarify the difference between an independent contractor...more
Fresenius CEO resigning; to be replaced by head of company’s pharmaceutical business -
Michael Sen, President and CEO of Fresenius Kabi, will replace Stephan Sturm as CEO of Fresenius SE on Oct. 1. Shares in the company...more
SCOTUS sides with OH-based medical plan in dispute with DaVita over dialysis reimbursements -
In a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Marietta Memorial Hospital Employee Benefit Plan in a case that hinged...more
SCOTUS questions appear to support DaVita’s position in dialysis care discrimination case -
Private plans are supposed to provide coverage for dialysis for the first 30 months before the patients can transition to...more
Benesch reviews state, federal modifications to restrictive covenant laws -
In a “Year-End Review,” Benesch points out there was considerable activity in trade secret and restrictive covenant law in 2021. Some of the...more
1/12/2022
/ American Medical Association ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Contract Terms ,
Dialysis Providers ,
Employment Contract ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medical Research ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
Physicians ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
State and Local Government ,
Surprise Medical Bills
SCOTUS to consider case alleging private plan’s ESRD coverage violates MSPA -
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of Marietta Memorial Hospital Employee Health Benefits Plan v. DaVita, which alleges a private...more
12/6/2021
/ Antitrust Litigation ,
Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dialysis ,
Dialysis Providers ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
ESRD ,
Medicare ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
SCOTUS ,
Vaccinations
Benesch: FTC to more stringently enforce PHR breaches by apps, connected medical devices -
The FTC issued a policy statement to provide guidance to developers of health apps and connected medical devices and how they’re...more
10/7/2021
/ Antitrust Litigation ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dialysis ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Employer Mandates ,
Organ Transplant Centers ,
PHI ,
Private Equity ,
Telemedicine ,
Vaccinations
Industry players agree on need for quality assurance but believe CMS’ QIP program for ESRD care delivery flawed -
The ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP) implemented by CMS provides a payment penalty of up to 2% for...more
DaVita, former CEO indicted in federal market collusion case -
DaVita and the company’s former CEO, Kent Thiry, were alleged to have conspired with Surgical Care Affiliates to suppress competition for senior-level...more