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pr-fre@fresenius.com

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Fresenius Medical Care, the world’s largest provider of dialysis products and services, today announced a leadership change in North America. William (Bill) Valle (56) has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of North America, effective January 16, 2017. Bill Valle will succeed Ronald (Ron) Kuerbitz (57), who is joining agilon health as Chief Executive Officer. agilon health is a healthcare services and technology company formed in 2016 that partners with physicians to create value-based healthcare delivery systems.

“Fresenius Medical Care and agilon health share a vision for making healthcare more effective by empowering patients and caregivers with the administrative, technology and management resources that enable them to focus the right resources on the right patient at the right time and place although in different areas of the health care sector. That focus is essential to the transition from fee-for-service to value-based care – and is the path to better outcomes, better experiences and better economics for all participants in the system. I am very proud of the accomplishments of the remarkably capable and dedicated team at Fresenius Medical Care and I am thrilled to join an equally creative and dedicated team at agilon,” said Ron Kuerbitz, who will remain with the company until mid-February and will assist in the leadership transition during that time.

Bill Valle serves since 2014 as Executive Vice President responsible for the Dialysis Service Business of Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) – the largest business segment of the company as well as our Vascular Access business. In that position he was responsible for the successful management of more than 2,400 outpatient facilities and home programs and 1,400 inpatient programs across the United States and Puerto Rico. Approximately 187,000 dialysis patients receive life-sustaining dialysis therapy in these facilities.

Bill Valle joined FMCNA in 2009 with 22 years' experience in the dialysis industry, holding executive positions at several dialysis companies including Gambro Healthcare, Inc.

Before 2014 Bill Valle served as President of Fresenius Medical Care Integrated Renal Services. In that capacity, he oversaw Fresenius Vascular Care and our Services Business Development team, and also had responsibility for integrating our other key areas of provider operations, including the FreseniusRx pharmacy, Inpatient Services and Spectra Laboratories.

“I want to thank Ron for his many years of outstanding contributions – most notably his strong stewardship of our strategic shift toward building a coordinated care network for patients and we wish Ron all the best in his future endeavors” said Rice Powell, Chief Executive Officer of Fresenius Medical Care and Chairman of the Management Board. “I am incredibly proud of the world class executive and operations team we have assembled and the unparalleled care network we have built. Bill’s successful record and his extensive management experience within FMCNA and the health care field qualify him superbly for the position. I am confident he is the right leader for FMCNA as we continue to grow and integrate our businesses into a coordinated care network”.

Stephan Sturm, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Medical Care Management AG, said: “Bill Valle has made outstanding contributions to the success of Fresenius Medical Care over the years. With his excellent understanding of the strategic opportunities and challenges ahead of us, Bill’s leadership will ensure the continued success of the company”.

Contact

Head of Corporate Communications
T +49 (0) 6172 608-96008
pr-fre@fresenius.com

Documents

Text as PDF document (01, 34 KB)

Following a hearing on Thursday, the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Texas has granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) requested by Dialysis Patients Citizens (a patient advocacy organization), Fresenius Medical Care, DaVita, and US Renal, with the support of the American Kidney Fund.

The TRO will remain effective until the earlier of January 26, 2017 or the date the court is able to conclude further proceedings and rule on the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction. A hearing on the motion for preliminary injunction is scheduled for January 18, 2017.

The TRO request, and the underlying complaint, sought relief from the administration’s Interim Final Rule (IFR) that would constrain charitable contributions to the American Kidney Foundation and similar charitable organizations benefiting dialysis patients.

Contact

Head of Corporate Communications
T +49 (0) 6172 608-96008
pr-fre@fresenius.com

Documents

Text as PDF document (01, 42 KB)

Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. (FMCNA) has joined other United States dialysis providers and patient advocates in filing a lawsuit challenging the rulemaking process used by the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to promulgate a new regulation regarding premium assistance programs that help to fund health insurance premiums for U.S. patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Many financially needy Americans receive grants from nonprofit charities to help them obtain health insurance. For decades, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) has provided such premium assistance to ESRD patients, and we have supported their mission with charitable contributions made in accordance with guidelines established by the HHS Office of Inspector General.

The new regulation, which is scheduled to become effective on January 13, 2017, threatens to put an end to premium assistance for certain ESRD patients in the United States, including those who access individual market plan coverage both on and off the marketplace exchanges. The lawsuit describes how CMS promulgated this rule without providing patients, healthcare providers, issuers and the public the opportunity to review and comment, as required by law. If finalized, the rule will cause severe and immediate harm to those patients who are among the most vulnerable in society: individuals suffering from kidney failure, which is a life-threatening condition.

We joined this lawsuit to ensure that Americans with kidney failure have the same right as every other American to receive charitable assistance to pay their health insurance premiums. The issue before the Court is whether CMS engaged in a proper rulemaking process as required by the Administrative Procedures Act. While we are supportive of CMS’ efforts to preserve patient independence in making decisions about healthcare coverage, it is clear that the new regulation is not a thoughtful or well-reasoned step forward. Instead, it heightens the potential for discrimination by issuers against dialysis patients and it increases the potential for disruption in access to dialysis care by the neediest Americans. We are urging the Court to stay the effectiveness of the regulation so that CMS can engage in the deliberative and informed rulemaking as required by the Administrative Procedures Act. We have asked the Court to issue an order blocking this “midnight” regulation from taking effect days before the inauguration of the new U.S. President. While we cannot predict the outcome of litigation, we believe that our claims have merit.

The regulation, should it become effective, and the continuing efforts by insurers – through their discussions with CMS and otherwise – to reject premium assistance for ESRD patients in the United States, may result in a material adverse effect on our business. The factors that may impact the future use of premium assistance by FMCNA ESRD patients include (i) how the regulation is interpreted, (ii) the status of the regulation, (iii) federal regulatory, legislative and/or executive action, (iv) state regulatory, legislative and/or executive action, (v) the status of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act generally, including the viability of the marketplace exchanges, (vi) legal challenges to the regulation, its interpretation or application, and (vii) responses to the regulation by issuers, providers, and patients. Between 700 and 2,000 FMCNA ESRD patients who currently use premium assistance in connection with individual market plans on and off the exchanges may be impacted by the regulation and/or continuing insurer efforts to reject premium assistance, but that range could also be impacted materially by the above factors.

On January 3, 2017, FMCNA accepted service of a subpoena from the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts calling for the production of information related to the premium assistance program operated by the AKF. FMCNA is cooperating with this investigation.