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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 2199

Rep. Kelly Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Private Insurance From Cutting Dialysis Coverage

Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill strengthens protections for people with end-stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure) by making sure their private health insurance cannot treat dialysis differently from other medical services. It closes loopholes that some insurers have used to limit or reduce dialysis coverage.
  • The bill explicitly bans private insurance plans from shifting the cost of dialysis and other care for kidney patients onto Medicare earlier than required. Under current law, private insurance is supposed to be the primary payer for a set period before Medicare takes over, but some plans have tried to push patients onto Medicare sooner to save money.

    From policy text

    “To prohibit health insurance plans from shifting primary responsibility for covering the cost of health care services needed by patients with ESRD to the Medicare program.”
    View in full text
  • Insurance plans would be prohibited from applying any benefit limitation — including restrictions on which providers are in-network — that disproportionately harms dialysis patients compared to people with other conditions.

    From policy text

    “apply a limitation on benefits (including on network composition) under the plan that will disparately affect individuals having end stage renal disease”
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  • While the bill protects coverage, it does not force insurance companies to include any specific dialysis clinic in their network. Plans can still choose which providers they work with — they just cannot use network design as a backdoor way to discriminate against kidney patients.

    From policy text

    “Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as requiring a group health plan to include a particular renal dialysis provider or a particular number of renal dialysis providers as part of the provider network the group health plan elects to offer its enrollees.”
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Healthcare

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Mar 18, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Mar 18, 2025

Introduced in House

Related Bills

1 bill
S. 1173Related bill

Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act

Mar 27 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act

Bill NumberHR 2199
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(59)
D: 32R: 27

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.