Organization The American Kidney Fund is headquartered in North Bethesda, Maryland (with a Rockville mailing address). As a 15-time recipient of the top “Four Star” rating from Charity Navigator, the American Kidney Fund is ranked among the top 1 percent of charities nationwide for fiscal accountability. AKF spends 97 cents of every donated dollar on patients and programs and is listed on Charity Navigator's Top 10 charities nationwide that have received the most consecutive four-star ratings. In addition, AKF holds an A+ rating from CharityWatch; adheres to the National Health Council Standards of Excellence; and is a member of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. According to the New York Times, the Kidney Fund has favored patients from clinics that contributed to the Kidney Fund, and discouraged other clinics from applying for assistance. Fresenius and DaVita provide nearly 80\% of the Kidney Fund ’s funding. According to Tracey Dickey, a social worker, the Kidney Fund sent her guidelines which said that “ If your company cannot make fair and equitable contributions, we respectfully request that your organization not refer patients. ” LaVarne A. Burton, the Kidney Fund’s chief executive, said that Ms. Dickey had misunderstood the guidelines.Kidney Fund Seen Insisting on Donations, Contrary to Government Deal, By KATIE THOMAS and REED ABELSON, New York Times, DEC. 25, 2016 In a statement on its website, the Kidney Fund called the article "factually incorrect and unfair , "  and said that they have never turned away a patient who was financially qualified to receive a grant, and that 40\% of dialysis providers with patients receiving help don’t contribute anything to the Kidney Fund . The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) charged that dialysis providers steered patients to private insurance companies, which cost patients more, rather than to Medicaid and Medicare, which cost patients less but had lower reimbursements for the providers. The providers used the Kidney Fund 's subsidies to help patients buy the more-expensive private insurance, according to the CMS.Dialysis providers won't have to disclose financial aid to patients, Dan Mangan, CNBC, Jan. 25, 2017 According to the Wall Street Journal, "The rule took aim at a setup that has come under fire from health insurers, particularly those offering plans on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. Under the setup, dialysis patients get help paying their health-insurance premiums from a charity, which itself gets funding from dialysis providers."Judge Blocks Rule That Would Limit Premium Assistance for Dialysis Patients; Judge issues order delaying rule indefinitely while he hears opposing suit filed by plaintiffs, including DaVita, Fresenius Medical Care, By Anna Wilde Mathews, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 25, 2017 On its website, the American Kidney Fund explains how its charitable premium assistance program works and why it is an essential part of the safety net for low-income dialysis patients.
Organization The American Kidney Fund is headquartered in North Bethesda, Maryland (with a Rockville mailing address). As a 15-time recipient of the top "Four Star" rating from Charity Navigator, the American Kidney Fund is ranked among the top 1 percent of charities nationwide for fiscal accountability. AKF spends 97 cents of every donated dollar on patients and programs and is listed on Charity Navigator's Top 10 charities nationwide that have received the most consecutive four-star ratings. In addition, AKF holds an A+ rating from CharityWatch; adheres to the National Health Council Standards of Excellence; and is a member of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. According to the New York Times, the AKF has favored patients from clinics that contributed to the Kidney Fund, and discouraged other clinics from applying for assistance. Fresenius and DaVita provide nearly 80\% of the AKF ’s funding. According to Tracey Dickey, a social worker, the Kidney Fund sent her guidelines which said that " If your company cannot make fair and equitable contributions, we respectfully request that your organization not refer patients. " LaVarne A. Burton, the Kidney Fund’s chief executive, said that Dickey had misunderstood the guidelines.Kidney Fund Seen Insisting on Donations, Contrary to Government Deal, By KATIE THOMAS and REED ABELSON, New York Times, DEC. 25, 2016 In a statement on its website, the AKF called the article "factually incorrect and unfair " , and said that they have never turned away a patient who was financially qualified to receive a grant, and that 40\% of dialysis providers with patients receiving help do not contribute anything to the AKF . The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) charged that dialysis providers steered patients to private insurance companies, which cost patients more, rather than to Medicaid and Medicare, which cost patients less but had lower reimbursements for the providers. The providers used the AKF 's subsidies to help patients buy the more-expensive private insurance, according to the CMS.Dialysis providers won't have to disclose financial aid to patients, Dan Mangan, CNBC, Jan. 25, 2017 According to the Wall Street Journal, "The rule took aim at a setup that has come under fire from health insurers, particularly those offering plans on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. Under the setup, dialysis patients get help paying their health-insurance premiums from a charity, which itself gets funding from dialysis providers."Judge Blocks Rule That Would Limit Premium Assistance for Dialysis Patients; Judge issues order delaying rule indefinitely while he hears opposing suit filed by plaintiffs, including DaVita, Fresenius Medical Care, By Anna Wilde Mathews, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 25, 2017 On its website, the AKF explains how its charitable premium assistance program works and why it is an essential part of the safety net for low-income dialysis patients.
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“Four Star”
"Four Star"
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Kidney Fund
AKF
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D
Ms.
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Kidney Fund
AKF
D
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A
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don’t
do not
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Kidney Fund
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Kidney Fund
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American Kidney Fund
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