Tampa, Fla. April 28, 2004 – The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the nation’s only patient-led and managed education and advocacy organization for people with kidney disease, today called on the more than 4,000 dialysis clinics nationwide to refer kidney patients to the new Medicare prescription discount card program.

"Ensuring all kidney patients who might benefit from the new Medicare drug benefit card are enrolled in the program must be a kidney community priority," said Brenda Dyson, president of AAKP. "Our dialysis clinic partners have a unique opportunity to make patients aware of this important new program."

Tomorrow, April 29, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will unveil a new website that provides comparative information on each discount card (click here), including cash prices of prescription drugs. Next week, CMS will announce a new website with drug discount card materials for all healthcare providers, including ordering information for free posters and other educational materials. Beginning May 3, Medicare members can sign up for a discount card, and on June 1, both drug discount cards and $600 cash grants for qualifying low-income Medicare members become effective.

AAKP is the voluntary, patient organization, which for 35 years, has been dedicated to improving the lives of fellow kidney patients and their families by helping them deal with the physical, emotional and social impact of kidney disease. The programs offered by AAKP inform and inspire patients and their families to better understand their condition, adjust more readily to their circumstances and assume more normal, productive lives in their communities.