6 Ways Rejuvenate Helps Patients and Their Payers Access Kidney Transplants Faster
Cases of end-stage renal disease, also known as kidney failure, have seen a sharp rise – tripling in the last 20 years.
For these patients and their employers, early transplantation is key to saving lives and cutting healthcare costs. Finding a transplant match not only provides patients with a better quality of life than dialysis but also extends life expectancy. Employers also benefit, as a transplant costs a third of what dialysis costs over time.
Here are six ways Rejuvenate Kidney Transplant Solutions uses its data-driven process to save lives and dollars by helping patients and their payers get access to kidney transplants faster:
1) Initiating intervention of chronic kidney disease patients
Rejuvenate uses a HIPAA-compliant channel to help third-party administrators and other data providers identify patients who could benefit from its innovative services. The process often starts with a free data analysis for benefits directors who want to get a clearer picture of their past, present and future costs associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
“A benefits director who sees the percentage of their population with diabetes going up, high blood pressure going up, heart disease going up – inevitably CKD and kidney failure are going to be right behind them,” says Mark Snyder, chief financial officer at Rejuvenate. “As you have more people with kidney failure, you’re going to spend more on dialysis and some of the other issues related to ESRD.”
Learn more about costs associated with kidney disease and where they could be hiding in your budget.
2) Educating and advocating for patients
Once patients are identified, they often receive a call from Sue Rees, Rejuvenate’s chief clinical officer, who shares valuable information about the complex world of kidney disease. Transplant recipient Dan Kyslinger says he was losing faith and struggling to navigate the transplant process before he got the call that ultimately led to his lifesaving surgery.
“Rejuvenate opened my eyes to the chance I could get a transplant,” says Kyslinger. “Sue is so positive. It’s not ‘can this happen?’ It’s ‘when this happens.’”
Here he shares his story of hope.
3) Partnering with a patient’s physicians
No matter where a patient lives, Rejuvenate works with their existing medical team to find new ways to avoid or limit the cost and negative impact of dialysis.
“This collaborative effort ensures patients are taken care of. That is our experience with Rejuvenate,” says kidney transplant surgeon Dr. Obi Ekwenna. “The patients return to their nephrologist post-transplant for their follow-up care, and everyone is happy.”
4) Identifying the best transplant center
Rejuvenate uses its expert knowledge of the transplant system to identify the best plan of action for each potential transplant recipient. For some, it may be searching for a living donor. For others, it may be multiple listing or finding a transplant center with a shorter overall wait time than others.
“Being knowledgeable about the national transplant waiting list and what centers have a shorter waiting time can open doors for patients,” says Sue Rees, chief clinical officer at Rejuvenate. “People with kidney failure have options, but it’s a lot of footwork and the information can be hard to find.”
Take a deeper dive into the options Rejuvenate presents to patients as part of its individualized approach to serving people with kidney failure.
5) Expediting referrals and evaluations
Before any patient can join the national transplant waiting list, they must be evaluated and accepted by a transplant center. Rejuvenate’s Health to Hope program pairs patients with life coaches who help them pass the physical and mental health requirements necessary to be listed for a kidney transplant.
“This is another service line that employers can offer to those with kidney failure,” says Rees. “What they are going to get out of it is a healthier and more productive employee, and also, an employee who will reach transplantation sooner rather than later.”
Find out more about Health to Hope and how it’s saving lives.
6) Aiding in the search for living donors
Living kidney donation offers transplant candidates the best chance of a successful outcome, yet only some have access to a person who is able or willing to donate. Rejuvenate’s proprietary knowledge replaces the need for conducting exhausting living donor searches and shares legions of success stories.
“I know police officers who have returned to duty,” says Rees of past living donors. “People are running, exercising and doing all the activities they enjoy.”
Read more about how Rejuvenate assists in the search for a living donor and helps patients overcome emotional barriers that can stand in the way of a transplant.
Creating opportunities for kidney transplants
From the beginning to the end of Rejuvenate’s data-driven process, its expert, caring team is focused on saving lives and reducing healthcare costs. This hands-on approach results in a highly personalized experience where employees are provided with peace of mind that their employer cares about them and that they are being provided with the very best opportunity to thrive.
Whether you are a benefits manager or a person living with kidney disease, schedule a call today to learn how Rejuvenate creates opportunities for kidney transplants.