Improving Home Dialysis Act (H.R. 8875)

Summary

Expands Medicare to cover staff-assisted respite care and mental health services for patients who perform dialysis in their own homes.

What problem does this solve?

Patients starting dialysis at home can feel overwhelmed and may lack support, making it hard to continue treatment. This bill adds Medicare coverage for temporary nursing help and mental health services to support patients during this difficult transition.

What does this bill do?

Adds staff-assisted home dialysis respite care

Covers temporary in-home help from qualified staff for patients who are unable to perform dialysis on their own, especially within the first 30 days of starting home treatment.

Adds renal mental health services

Covers mental health services for patients during the first 60 days after starting home dialysis to help them adjust.

Establishes payment adjustments for respite care

Creates a new payment adjustment for each session of respite care, limited to 20 sessions per year. The payments are not budget neutral, meaning they represent new spending.

Establishes payment adjustments for mental health services

Creates a new payment adjustment for mental health services, limited to 4 sessions within the first 60 days. These payments are also not budget neutral.

Who does this affect?

Medicare patients with kidney failure
Home dialysis providers
Caregivers of dialysis patients

What is the real world impact?

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Increases access to home dialysis

Makes it easier for patients to choose and stick with home dialysis by providing extra support during the initial, often difficult, period. This can improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden on dialysis centers.

When does this start?

The new home dialysis support services and related payments will begin on January 1, 2028.

Staff-assisted home dialysis respite care

Medicare coverage for this service begins on January 1, 2028.

Renal mental health services