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U.S. court issues
injunction on assistance for dialysis patients
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[January 26, 2017] FRANKFURT
(Reuters) - A U.S. court has issued a preliminary injunction on a new
federal rule that dialysis providers have said would prevent patients
from using charitable assistance to buy private health insurance,
Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) said on Thursday.
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 The decision upholds a temporary hold on the rule and is a victory
for dialysis providers FMC, DaVita Inc and U.S. Renal Care Inc,
which had filed a lawsuit to block the rule.
"The preliminary injunction is indefinite in duration and therefore
will remain in effect as long as the court does not change it," FMC
said.
The rule, announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services on Dec. 14, would require dialysis providers to disclose to
insurers any charitable assistance their patients are receiving for
their care. The providers said insurers would use that information
to refuse coverage to their patients.
Davita said in a statement the rule was still a threat to patients
and urged the new U.S. administration and the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services to eliminate it and take action to prevent
insurance companies from discriminating against patients.
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(Reporting by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Ludwig Burger)
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