WHEREAS, kidney failure is a growing national health concern, and most patients who suffer from kidney failure must visit a dialysis clinic three days a week to have their blood emptied, cleaned, and returned in an exhausting three to four hour process that requires having a tube connected to a patient’s arm or neck leaving them susceptible to bloodstream infections; and
WHEREAS, the two largest dialysis corporations – DaVita and Fresenius – made combined profits of $3.9 billion from their dialysis operations in the United States in 2016, and dialysis corporations are driving up the cost of health care in California by charging several times more than the actual cost of providing patient care to maximize profits and spike executive salaries, and these inflated prices ultimately cost consumers and taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in higher health insurance premiums; and
WHEREAS, community groups, dialysis workers, other healthcare workers, and dialysis patients are part of a growing coalition to hold the dialysis industry accountable, prevent price gouging, and improve patient care for Californians who rely on dialysis treatment; and
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Riverside County Democratic Party supports legislation that would limit dialysis corporations’ billing rates to be commensurate with profit margins approved by Medicare for other procedures, and requiring dialysis corporations that violate the approved rates to refund the difference; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED The Riverside County Democratic Party will transmit passage of this resolution to the California Democratic Party urging its support for this resolution.
Passed RCDP 10/8/2018
Contact: Agi Kessler
805-469-6050
Agikessler@gmail.com
