If you are a patient receiving dialysis treatments, a family member or caregiver of a dialysis patient, or an active member of the kidney care community, this post has an important message and request for your help. In early July, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a nearly 10% reduction in payment for dialysis treatments. If you do not have time to read on, please take 90 seconds of your time to oppose these cuts, which, if implemented, will limit patients’ access to life-saving care because of resulting dialysis staffing reductions and center closures in some areas.

Go to DaVitaAdvocacy.com to send a letter to Congress. Tell your Congress members that cutting nearly 10% from an essential program will hurt some of the most vulnerable people in the American healthcare system—those who depend on dialysis to stay alive.

So what exactly could less money from CMS mean for dialysis patients and providers?

The purpose of outlining potential future scenarios is not to create fear. Rather, it is to encourage action because this is something we can actually influence. We have until the end of August to be heard. If you haven’t done so already, consider taking the following actions:

1. Take 90 seconds to go to DaVitaAdvocacy.com and send letters to your three members of Congress. A pre-written message is available, and you can add your comments to it. Act today—make sure your Congress members know that cutting nearly 10% from the dialysis program will hurt people who depend on dialysis to stay alive.
2. Tell your coworkers, patients, physicians, family members and friends to do the same. Send them an E-Card about it at DaVita.com/E-Card.
3. Post messages on Facebook and Twitter. Simply copy and paste these sample posts on your social sites and encourage your friends and family to do the same:
   Facebook: Friends and family: Help protect access to dialysis. More than 80% of dialysis patients rely on Medicare for their care. Tell Congress to stop Medicare cuts before they start. We need your help: http://bit.ly/DaVitaAdvocacy.
   • Twitter: Help protect access to dialysis. Tell Congress to stop Medicare cuts before they start. We need your help: http://bit.ly/DaVitaAdvocacy.
   • Consider a visit to your local Congressmember’s or senator’s office to voice your concerns.

I welcome your comments on this post as others who have already expressed their concerns.