WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, July 29, 2025 /
EINPresswire.com/ -- A recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule, in effect as of January 1st, moved oral-only phosphate-lowering therapies (PLTs) from Medicare Part D into the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) bundle under Medicare Part B. This misguided policy has destabilized patient care, discouraged innovation, and entrenched a monopolized payment model that rewards scale over quality.
The United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC), alongside seven other Hispanic organizations, is calling on CMS and members of Congress to reverse this detrimental rule.
Javier Palomarez, President & CEO of the USHBC,
authored a letter to various regulators, including CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought.
“Chronic kidney disease affects 35 million Americans, and more than 800,000 are already living with ESRD, most of them dependent on regular dialysis care to survive,” said Javier Palomarez in the letter. PLTs are essential for managing hyperphosphatemia, a dangerous ESRD complication that significantly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and even death. Seven in ten dialysis patients already struggle to maintain proper phosphate levels, making access to these therapies a matter of life and death.
Javier continued, “Since this policy took effect, providers have reported delays, medication shortages and serious disruptions in care. Small dialysis centers and independent pharmacies, already operating on thin margins, are now forced to navigate new risks in compliance and ambiguity in reimbursement. Meanwhile, dialysis monopolies continue to pocket billions from a bundled model that stifles competition and innovation.”
“Before the policy change, PLTs were covered under Medicare Part D, where patients had broad access through their local pharmacies and physicians had the flexibility to tailor their treatments. This administration has the chance to correct a mistake that should never have happened. Reversing the bundling rule is a chance to lead with principle, promote competition, and prove that pro-market reforms can also be pro-patient.” Palomarez concluded.
To learn more, follow @myushbc and @JPalomarez on X.
Visit ushbc.com/join to become a member today.
About the USHBC
Javier Palomarez is the President & CEO of the United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC). The USHBC is the leading voice for the small business community. A 501(c)6 non-profit organization, the USHBC focuses on the success of the American small businesses and the representation of Hispanics in business, media, and politics by ensuring they have a voice in the national dialogue. The USHBC is a nonpartisan organization.
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