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About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 566 blog entries.

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 [...]

Better Late than Never: Genetic Diagnosis After Major Medical Events

2024-03-28T20:58:44-04:00December 17th, 2021|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, The Kidney Citizen, What Causes Kidney Disease|

By Dawn Laney, MS You have two doctors for your kidneys, one for your heart, one for your head, one for your eyes, and one for your overall health. You are tested, biopsied, and imaged from head to toe on a regular basis. So, when one of these doctors suggests a referral to genetics, you may wonder, “Another doctor? Is it still worth seeking a genetic diagnosis as an adult who has already had kidney failure?” The answer is a resounding “Yes!” One way to improve care in a medically complicated situation is by learning if an underlying genetic condition could [...]

Why DPC Fights To Maintain Private Insurance Coverage for Dialysis

2024-03-28T20:58:45-04:00December 17th, 2021|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

By Jackson Williams, DPC Vice President of Public Policy In recent years, private insurance coverage for dialysis patients has come under attack. In 2016, the outgoing Obama Administration issued a regulation that would have prohibited charities like the American Kidney Fund (AKF) from assisting patients with premiums. Several insurers unilaterally refused to accept checks from AKF or eliminated dialysis providers from their networks. Some employers have tried to restrict coverage for dialysis by amending their health plan language. The SEIU labor union promoted legislation and ballot initiatives, most notably in California, to restrict or eliminate insurance coverage for dialysis. DPC has [...]

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)

2024-03-28T20:58:46-04:00December 17th, 2021|Categories: The Kidney Citizen, What Causes Kidney Disease|

By Mirjana Dimitrijevic, M.D. and Keith A. Bellovich, DO There are two major forms of PKD: autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). ARPKD is uncommon and is typically diagnosed in infancy or in utero. Autosomal recessive means that the mutated gene must be present in both parents (carriers) with a 1 in 4 chance that a child will inherit an abnormal gene from both parents and have the disease. In ADPKD each child of an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease. ADPKD is the most common inherited kidney disease, characterized [...]

Travel Lovers, Don’t Let Dialysis Slow You Down

2024-03-28T20:58:46-04:00December 17th, 2021|Categories: Home Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

By Vanessa Evans, Sr. Manager, Patient Communities and Advocacy at Fresenius Medical Care North America and DPC Board Member Brenda and Bernie Alvey are the consummate camper travelers, crisscrossing the United States and taking in sights from the St. Louis Arch to the Grand Canyon. But their camper has a few unusual features, including two recliners, extra outlets, and a homemade stand to accommodate Brenda’s portable home hemodialysis equipment. The Alveys have always loved traveling, but they thought their trips had come to an end when Brenda was diagnosed with Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis (MPGN), an autoimmune disease that destroys kidney [...]

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