Advancing Upstream Kidney Care: A Legislative Solution to Reduce Disparities, Improve Outcomes, and Lower Costs

Date & Time: 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT
Location: Zoom Webinar

Register for the Webinar

Black Americans are nearly four times more likely to experience kidney failure than White Americans, and Hispanics and Latinos are 1.3 times more likely. Although Black Americans represent just 13.5% of the U.S. population, they account for more than 35% of patients receiving dialysis. These disparities highlight the urgent need for earlier detection and treatment of kidney disease before it progresses to end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Beyond improving health outcomes and reducing the human burden on patients, families, and caregivers, upstream kidney care also has the potential to generate substantial savings. Research suggests that earlier intervention could save Medicare more than $9 billion and employers more than $35 billion annually.

This webinar will explore a novel voluntary kidney care model that would allow health insurance plans to share in the savings they generate for Medicare by preventing or delaying ESRD through expanded screening, earlier diagnosis, and timely treatment. The discussion will examine how innovative payment and incentive structures could help address persistent disparities in kidney disease while improving outcomes and reducing costs.

Meet the Moderator

Holly Bode

Vice President of Government Affairs and Chief Advocacy Officer

American Kidney Fund

Holly Bode is the Vice President of Government Affairs at the American Kidney Fund where she leads federal and state advocacy and public policy efforts. Before coming to AKF, she worked at the Alliance of Community Health Plans where she directed their federal lobbying and communications work for nearly five years, with a focus on Medicare Advantage and other health plan issues. She also worked at Washington Council Ernst & Young and at UnitedHealth Group where she coordinated the federal affairs strategy for United’s Medicare and Medicaid products. Holly also worked for on Capitol Hill for over nine years for various members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives as well as five years at the Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Donna Shalala.

Meet the Panelists

Melissa Bartlett

Senior Vice President, Health Policy

The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC)

Melissa Bartlett is the Senior Vice President, Health Policy for ERIC, leading the development of ERIC’s health policy and advocacy for its legislative and regulatory priorities at the federal, state, and local levels. Specifically, she supports ERIC member companies in advancing policies impacting all aspects of employer-sponsored health coverage, including the taxation of benefits, health care costs, quality, safety, and access, as well as laws and regulations affecting how health care benefits are administered on a nationwide basis.

Neal Masia

Co-founder and CEO

Entity Risk

Neal Masia is co-founder and CEO of EntityRisk, Inc., a high-growth software and analytics firm using scalable, cutting-edge techniques to estimate the value of new healthcare technologies, implement risk-based contracts and optimize evidence development for drugs across the product lifecycle. He serves as an advisor to healthcare companies ranging from startups to public corporations and major investment and consulting firms, including Guggenheim Partners, Blackstone, EY, and others.

Theresa Caldron

Patient Ambassador

American Kidney Fund

Theresa Caldron is a dedicated healthcare professional and patient advocate with over two decades of clinical experience. A Registered Nurse in Oklahoma for more than 15 years, Theresa’s career took a personal turn when she transitioned from provider to patient after being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that led to acute kidney failure.

Following a successful kidney transplant in 2020, Theresa has dedicated her expertise to advocating for early detection and prevention strategies. She has become a frequent voice in the kidney community, collaborating with state and federal lawmakers to champion legislation that improves outcomes and streamlines the healthcare journey for those living

with chronic kidney disease. Most recently, Theresa took part in an article discussing employer-led initiatives in the early identification of renal health issues.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar is designed for:

• Healthcare professionals
• Patient advocates
• Policymakers
• Researchers
• Healthcare executives
• Pharmaceutical professionals
• Community leaders
• Anyone interested in Medicare policy, cancer care, and health equity

Register Today

Don’t miss this timely discussion on one of the most important healthcare policy issues currently under consideration. Register today to hear from leading experts as they discuss advancing upstream kidney care, its potential impact on patient access and innovation, and what these could mean for the future of equitable healthcare.