A powerhouse merger between three big players in kidney care could be a game-changer for home dialysis. Fresenius Health Partners, a value-based care division of Fresenius Medical Care North America, is teaming up with value-based kidney care firm Cricket Health and physician network InterWell Health to form a $2.4 billion company that will focus on addressing chronic kidney disease earlier through a value-based care model.
The new company will operate under the InterWell Health brand and aims to work with payers to identify patients who will likely need dialysis in the future. The idea is to keep them healthier longer and educate them about dialysis options before they need it.
“That is a really important time when patients make decisions and understand what their modality options are,” InterWell Health co-chief Medical Officer George Hart, MD, told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “It’s pretty clear that the best time to do that is before people get sick and crash into dialysis.”
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid is trying to move more dialysis into the home through the End Stage Renal Disease Treatment Model. The initiative requires 30% of treatment providers in all 50 states to encourage transplants or home dialysis. Currently about 15% of patients with ESRD dialyze at home.
Cricket Health CEO Robert Sepucha told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse payer data can very accurately predict patients at high risk for kidney failure. Supplemental benefits provided through many Medicare Advantage plans could help slow the progress of the disease.
“That is when it is really important to get them to understand the value of diet, exercise, wellness so that we can slow the progression,” Sepucha explained. “As they progress, we can help them transition to transplant or home dialysis.”
The merged company is subject to regulatory approval, with the deal expected to close by the end of this year. InterWell Health hopes to manage and care for approximately 270,000 patients with kidney disease by 2025.
