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About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 560 blog entries.

Up-to-Date vs. Fully Vaccinated – What to Know About COVID-19 Vaccination

2024-03-28T20:58:36-04:00February 7th, 2022|Categories: eNews, Immunizations|Tags: |

With Omicron continuing and the possibility of new variants in the future, it is important to not only be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but also receive a booster dose, when eligible, so that you are up-to-date. Someone is considered fully vaccinated when they have received their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines. In order to be considered up-to-date, a person has to have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster(s) when eligible. The recommendations provided by the CDC will be different for everyone, depending on age, health status, and when you received your first vaccine. It is important to note that [...]

Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests to be Covered Through Medicare

2024-03-28T20:58:37-04:00February 4th, 2022|Categories: eNews, Quality of Life|Tags: |

Beginning in early spring, those with either Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage (MA) will be able to get over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free. The tests will be available through eligible pharmacies and other participating entities, with Medicare beneficiaries being able to get up to eight FDA approved or authorized tests per month. This announcement is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to expand access to free testing for Americans. Until this option is available, people with Medicare can access free tests through the following channels: Request four free at-home tests that will be delivered to your house through: https://www.covidtests.gov/ Find [...]

How to Have Difficult End-of-Life Conversations

2024-03-28T20:58:38-04:00January 27th, 2022|Categories: eNews, Mental Health, Quality of Life, Stress Management, Uncategorized|

Although death is an inevitable part of life, it can be a difficult subject to discuss with loved ones. We worry about upsetting our family or seeming too morbid, but having these conversations can actually be extremely helpful in minimizing the stress of loved ones once we’ve passed. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, people may not have as much time from receiving a diagnosis to when they die, and many families have found themselves in situations where they don’t know their family member’s last wishes. For these reasons, it has become even more important to discuss advance care planning with our [...]

New “No Surprises Act” Aims to Eliminate Surprise Medical Bills

2024-03-28T20:58:38-04:00January 10th, 2022|Categories: Costs for Treatment, eNews|

On January 1st, a new act known as the No Surprises Act, went into effect to protect people with group and individual health insurance from receiving unexpected out-of-network medical bills. This means that individuals with private health insurance are protected from receiving additional bills for emergency services, services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and out-of-network air ambulance providers. Uninsured or self-pay individuals have new resolution opportunities if they receive a medical bill that is significantly higher than the good faith estimate they were provided, and there is also a new dispute resolution process for payment disputes between plans and providers. [...]

Depression and Dialysis – A Look at Two Potential Treatments

2024-03-28T20:58:39-04:00January 3rd, 2022|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Medication, Mental Health, The Kidney Citizen|

It is not uncommon for patients receiving dialysis treatment to have depression, though it can be hard to distinguish the symptoms of depression from those of kidney failure. Trouble sleeping, poor appetite, headaches, and fatigue are all symptoms of both conditions, leaving dialysis patients to wonder not only if they have depression, but if treatment would help to improve the symptoms they are feeling. Talking to your kidney care team is a great first step to figuring out who you should talk to about whether you have depression, along with figuring out potential treatment options. Though there are many ways [...]

Research Report Finds Minimal costs to enacting Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act

2024-03-28T20:58:40-04:00December 17th, 2021|Categories: Costs for Treatment, The Kidney Citizen|

By Jackson Williams, DPC Vice President of Public Policy A research report commissioned by DPC has found that passage of the Jack Reynolds Memorial Medigap Expansion Act (H.R. 1676) would add only minimal costs to the federal treasury and to seniors’ Medigap premiums. H.R. 1676  would require insurers to make Medigap plans available to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients under the age of 65. The report from Health Management Associates (HMA) calculated the costs associated with changing the law. Under current federal law, insurers are not required to offer Medicare Supplemental Insurance (also called Medigap) plans to patients under 65 years of age. While Medicare pays for roughly 80 [...]

DPC’s New Report Card on Medigap Coverage Helps ESRD Patients Understand their Medicare Supplemental Insurance Options

2024-03-28T20:58:41-04:00December 17th, 2021|Categories: Additional Resources, Costs for Treatment, The Kidney Citizen|

By Kelly Goss, J.D., LL.M., Western Region Advocacy Director If you’re a dialysis patient under age 65 looking to purchase a Medigap plan, DPC’s new interactive Medigap Report Card will help you understand the availability of Medigap coverage in your state. Medicare Supplemental Insurance, or Medigap, is provided by private insurance companies to help Medicare enrollees cover their out-of-pocket “gap” costs – such as copays, coinsurance, and deductibles – not covered by Original Medicare. Providing accessible and affordable Medigap coverage is critical to ensuring patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) can fully cover the cost of their care, since Medicare [...]

Chronic Kidney Disease and Hyperkalemia: What You Need to Know About High Potassium!

2024-03-28T20:58:42-04:00December 17th, 2021|Categories: Nutrition, Stages of Kidney Disease, The Kidney Citizen|

By Sue Hellie The challenges faced this past year have redefined what it means to live with chronic kidney disease (CKD). People living with kidney disease and other severe chronic conditions are at higher risk for more severe illness, and they’ve had to take extra precautions to ensure their safety and wellbeing. However, this past year has presented many people with the opportunity to educate themselves about their health and potential associated conditions that come with living with CKD. One condition that is less understood by many living with CKD is hyperkalemia. What is hyperkalemia? Hyperkalemia is a condition some people [...]

Be Ready for Weather-Related Emergencies!

2024-03-28T20:58:43-04:00December 17th, 2021|Categories: Additional Resources, Dialysis, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|

By Mike Guffey, DPC Board Member It is critically important for dialysis patients to be prepared for weather emergencies, especially as we head into the hurricane and winter weather seasons. Patients should have an emergency checklist and a “go” kit with emergency supplies. www.ready.gov is a good go-to site with checklists and contact cards to help your family be prepared. You should gather the information well in advance of any incidents, but it is helpful to review them at the start of each severe weather season. Maintain the kit in a sturdy plastic container and rotate supplies on a [...]

Greetings from San Antonio Texas

2024-03-28T20:58:43-04:00December 17th, 2021|Categories: Dialysis, The Kidney Citizen|

By Natalie Zuniga, DPC Board Member, pictured here with her husband, Eddie Zuniga My name is Natalie Zuniga and I survived the 2021 Texas ice storm with my spouse, Eddie Zuniga, who is also a dialysis patient! I have been a dialysis patient for over three years and my husband has been a dialysis patient for eight years. At first, we thought it was a death sentence and we were not going to live much longer, and we gave up. But then, by hard work and education through Dialysis Patient Citizens and our nutritionist, Mary, we are now striving [...]

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