March 9, 2006
State Renal Disease Funds Depleted for Fiscal Year
As required by state administrative rules, the End Stage Renal Disease Program of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) is notifying kidney patients, dialysis centers, nephrologists, and pharmacies that it has spent its allocation of state funds for claims with dates of service within state fiscal year 2006 (July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2006).
Funding of the program will resume July 1 for claims with dates of service within state fiscal year 2007 (July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007).
The Legislature appropriated $100,000 of state general funds to help pay costs associated with chronic, non-reversible kidney disease, also known as end-stage renal disease. The funds are used to cover part of the costs of hospital and medical care for kidney dialysis and transplant patients, and to pay pharmacies for certain drugs specifically prescribed for kidney patients.
Each year, the department expends the funds as needed until they are gone. It is not uncommon for the funding to run out before the end of the fiscal year.
To be eligible for assistance from the department, a patient must be diagnosed with chronic non-reversible kidney disease and meet financial eligibility requirements.
Currently, the program serves a caseload of about 70 dialysis patients and/or transplant patients. There are other chronic kidney disease patients in the state who have not applied for assistance but who may benefit from this program.
Anyone interested in learning more about the program should contact John Hein, program officer with DPHHS, at 444-4349 or jhein@mt.gov.
Page last updated: 06/13/2006
