Amendments to the Medicare Renal Disease Program Statement on Signing H.R. 8423 Into Law.

For the 40,000 Americans suffering from the severe disorder known as endstage renal disease, kidney dialysis and transplantation are essential and life-saving services. But until now, Federal policies have encouraged these patients to rely upon institutionally based dialysis, which is more expensive than other approaches, such as transplantation and home-based dialysis, and which may be less medically desirable. The important legislation I am signing today, H.R. 8423, changes Federal reimbursement policies to enable patients who are suitable candidates for transplantation or home-based dialysis to receive these treatments.

This legislation complements other initiatives designed to control soaring health care costs while maintaining the quality of care, such as the hospital cost containment bill now pending before several committees of the Congress. I will continue to work with the Congress to assure more efficient health care for the American people.