From the American Kidney Fund:

"Urge Congress to halt regulations that allow insurers to deny coverage to dialysis patients
The American Kidney Fund (AKF), the nation’s largest nonprofit serving people with kidney disease, helps 1 in 5 dialysis patients nationwide access the lifesaving health care they need. We do this with a number of grant programs, including one that pays health insurance premiums to insurance companies for financially struggling dialysis patients.

On December 13, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that allows insurers to deny health care coverage to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on dialysis who accept assistance from charities to pay their health insurance premiums.

CMS stated that their purpose was intended to create a more transparent process to insure that dialysis patients had the information they needed to understand their coverage options, which can include Medicare, Medicaid, COBRA, employer group health plans (EHGP), and qualified health plans (QHPs) bought in the insurance Marketplace (Exchange). Unfortunately, the IFR is a long way from fulfilling its intent.  The Rule states that insurance plans must approve the use of charitable premium assistance before a patient can use such grants to pay their premiums. CMS has given insurers a legal option of denying coverage.

Although many patients with other specific medical conditions receive charitable assistance to pay their health insurance premiums, CMS gives insurers the right to drop only ESRD patients who rely on charitable assistance. It is time for Congress to act and to direct CMS to withdraw this Rule. 

Please contact your U.S. Representative and Senators to request that they urge CMS withdraw this rule immediately."