The Biden administration is asking for feedback on how to improve health equity in the organ transplant system and boost access to dialysis services.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a request for information Wednesday to seek stakeholder feedback that will help inform future regulations. The agency has made improving health equity a major pillar of regulations and value-based care programs.
The request is for feedback on major improvements that can increase “organ donations, improve transplants, enhance the quality of care in dialysis facilities, increase access to dialysis services and advance equity in organ donation and transplantation,” according to a CMS release on the notice.
CMS added that communities of color have higher rates of diabetes, blood pressure and obesity, which can increase the risk of kidney disease.
“Despite the higher risk, data shows that Black and Latino patients on dialysis are less likely to be placed on the transplant waitlist and have a lower likelihood of transplantation,” the agency said.
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Any feedback can help inform future regulations on transplant programs as well as on end-stage renal disease providers and suppliers.
The request for information comes more than a month after CMS released a final rule that rewards providers for improving home dialysis and kidney transplant rates among low-income Medicare beneficiaries as well as dual-eligible participants.
The rule hopes to encourage providers to improve equity in home dialysis and transplant rates.
Improving equity has been a major priority for the administration, and CMS has issued several requests for information on how regulations can achieve greater equity.