Fresenius Medical Care North America Partners With Nephrologists for Kidney Care Payment Models

Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) announced they are partnering with more than 1000 nephrology providers for the new Kidney Care Choices (KCC) models scheduled to begin this year.

The models were announced by CMS in 2019 and a majority of the providers are members of InterWell Health—the largest network of nephrologists in the United States. The partnerships will include 20 of the 55 approved Kidney Contracting Entities announced by CMS.

“We appreciate the more than one thousand nephrology providers who have chosen to partner with us in this important government value-based program to improve care for people living with late-stage kidney disease and kidney failure," said David Pollack, president of the FMCNA Integrated Care Group, in a statement. "Our innovative solutions have shown we can truly make a difference as we work to intervene earlier to treat kidney disease under new value-based models of care."

FMCNA has implemented several value-based care programs with the federal government and private payers since 2005. In the past 7 years, the company has provided support to 500,000 participants in value-based programs and managed risk for over $20 billion in medical expenses. The services and support provided by FMCNA have been expanded to cater to the specific needs of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD)and end-stage renal disease.

The purpose of FMCNA’s value-based programs is to leverage data to power predictive models that aim to slow progression of kidney disease and reduce hospital admissions. Over 50% of people enrolled in a private payer program have begun home dialysis therapy or had a kidney transplant when transitioning from CKD to kidney failure in the last 5 years. Additionally, patients who planned to start dialysis under these value-based programs represented 2 times the national average.

The company will help manage care for over 50,000 individuals by distributing education and support services to prevent kidney disease progression, increase preemptive transplants, and improve the prevalence of life-sustaining treatments through the Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting options offered in the KCC.

“Under the direction of the nephrologist, care coordinators will ensure the patient’s plan of care is carried out, providing access to social workers and renal dietitians well before dialysis is needed. Too often patients with kidney disease crash into the hospital with critical health issues and require an urgent start to dialysis, so this program helps incentivize earlier interventions to create a better plan for treatment and management of this disease,” said Terry Ketchersid, MD, MBA, chief medical officer of the FMCNA Integrated Care Group and co-chief medical officer of InterWell Health.

Patients managed under the new models will benefit from FMCNA’s KidneyCare:365 Care Choice Program, which was designed specifically for the CMS initiative. The program was designed to support people living with late-stage CKD using personalized education efforts, hands-on support, and increased care coordination activities to help better manage their disease and related conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and behavioral health.

In addition to providing early interventions and prevention opportunities to patients, the program will involve education about kidney disease, related comorbidities, the importance of seeking nephrology care, and dietary and health living information supplied by dietitians and social workers. Education on treatment options for kidney failure, such as kidney transplants and home hemodialysis therapy, will also be provided.

Reference

Fresenius Medical Care North America Partners with 1,000+ Nephrology Providers for New Kidney Care Payment Models [news release]. Waltham, MA: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings; February 9, 2022. fmcna.com/company/our-company/news-releases/fmcna-partners-with-1000-nephrology-providers/. Accessed February 11, 2022.