By Miriam Lippel Blum
There are 26 days left to make your comments to CMS regarding the proposed payment rules. Make your voice heard! It matters.
Here are the CKD related blogs updated since my last report on 11/18. If you have or know of a blog that should be on the list let Bill know. Comments in parentheses are my reactions or opinions.
- Dialysis from the sharp end of the needle Bill notes that the Senate bill seems to address dialysis coverage in a couple of citations. It doesn't include immunosuppresant coverage, and reverses the 1% decrease of payment mandated by MIPPA. The language about Medicare Advantage programs is, basically, unintelligible, and he's not sure what they are saying. (I looked at it, too, and promptly gave up.); Peter points out that CMS has not addressed in any of their comments or discussions the hidden administrative costs of the bundle for physician and dialysis providers Medicare compliance. (Excellent points, Peter! Someone has to pay those costs and the way it is written...or not written now, puts that burden on the providers.)
- Kamal Shah's Blog Kamal figures out how to add multiple items to svn in one shot. (This is software lingo I don't understand, but Kamal does, and his colleagues think he's brilliant so it must be good.)
- Kaply, Inc. Tracy has an untraditional Thanksgiving by going out for Indian food; has problems with the feed on her website, and the doctor gives her more medications to put up her nose, post-sinus surgery.
- Toastiest Toastie critiques the way MSNBC.com and the like present the costs of the healthcare reform bills; photos of Herman the dog playing with the TV remote and Aremid, the cat, sleeping.
- CHRONIC POSITIVITY - Life with Polycystic Kidney Disease Jeff's BK Virus increases and he is put on antibiotics again, otherwise he is okay, provides a link to another blog that is following the story of a young woman struggling with PKD and a brain aneurysm.
- On the Road to a Lupus Cure The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) attended the American College of Rheumatology's conference and has released videos about the latest lupus research they learned about; has a video with a new low-impact exercise program, designed specifically for people with lupus, available from their store.
- Really, I'm as Old as I Feel? photo of 2-year old Abby having a bad hair day.
- I Am. Are you? announces the winners of the Donate Life Illinois 2009 Campus Challenge; is giving away 20 autographed copies of Carrie Underwood’s new CD, Play On.
- Bud's Ramblings Bud's Thanksgiving plans, had a lot of cramping on dialysis.
- Precious Bodily Fluids posts on treatment recommendations for membranous nephropathy; slides from the journal club's discussion of an NEJM article on CRT dosing; comments on headlines from current news that shows that drinking alcohol can be good for you, and taking vitamins can be bad.
- Renal Fellow Network last week's poll results showed that the majority of individuals were wary of using physician "Pay For Performance" as a strategy towards increasing AV fistula placement rates; a case study on analgesic nephropathy.
- Uremic Frost Simon samples the new Renvela powder and is not convinced it is going to as big a hit as Genzyme hopes, also reports on the failure and discontinuation of development of Genzyme's new proposed APB (advanced phosphate binder).
- UKidney The results of a new study into side effects of gadolinium MRI contrast agents indicates that patients undergoing dialysis are at 77 fold higher risk of contracting nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), and kidney transplant patients face a 69 fold higher risk of developing the rare and potentially life-threatening condition, which is associated with a hardening and thickening of the skin and other tissue throughout the body; comments on research interventions to improve fluid restriction adherence in chronic HD treatment.
- Renal tsar's blog opines on whether improving quality of renal care saves money.
- Kidney Notes - Exploring the Intersection of Medicine and Technology links to a new research study on how physicians use the Internet; link to an article on Google's Health Beta and Microsoft's My Health Info; links to the case report on analgesic nephropathy found on Renal Fellow Network; a video lecture by Merlin Mann entitled "Something Something Social Media: The Overdue Minority Report"; an article on how doctors' ties can spread the flu and an antimicrobial tie with a graphic design based on the H1N1 virus.
- Lemonade and Kidneys Ruth is feeling cranky having had an allergy attack that deprived her of a good night's sleep.
- Rob and Danielle's Kidney Blog This is a new blog to our list written by both a husband and wife. He has PKD, is on dialysis and awaiting a transplant. They hope to share experiences and information about Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and dialysis that will help others.
- The inner game of PKD Richie explores how people with PKD explore emotions.
- 3 1/2 Hours of Free Cable Jason tells the story of how he and his kidney donor, Jeremy, met, emphasizes Jeremy's character and the fact that a donor doesn't have to be a family member.
- Unfiltered Hope Darren's new kidney is definitely waking up; Darren celebrates his 41st birthday with a new kidney and should be out of the hospital in the late afternoon.. Includes a photo of all the pills he must take.
- Berns on Nephrology Jeffrey S. Berns, MD, reports from the floor of American Society of Nephrology Renal Week 2009 on 3 major trials, including an "outstandingly done study" on differing hemoglobin levels in patients with CKD and type 2 diabetes;
- Kidney Community Emergency Response This month's issue of "Welcome to Disasterville" focuses on winter weather. Be sure to check it out at http://www.kcercoalition.com/newsletter.htm
- NephrOnline Blogs Mark E. Neumann summarizes the reports from CMS proposing recommendations on how the ESRD Networks can improve.
- My New (transplanted) Kidney Journey Al's creatinine has gone up some and he is worried, has a doctor appointment soon, is thinking about initiating a dialysis diet to take the stress off his new kidney.
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