Travel & Visiting Dialysis Patients
DCL encourages all patients to maintain active and fulfilling lives outside of dialysis. This may include travel for business or pleasure, which DCL is happy to assist with making arrangements for your care.
Travel
If you are planning a trip or vacation, please contact the Travel Coordinator at 402-489-5339 at least a month prior. They will work with you to find a dialysis unit at/near your destination and arrange treatments. They will need the following to get started:
- The dates you will be traveling
- The FULL address of where you will be staying
- A phone number so that the out of town dialysis center can reach you (A cell phone you take with you is acceptable)
- Your current insurance information
The Travel Coordinator will contact dialysis centers closest to where you plan to stay to see if they have an opening during the dates you will be traveling. We may not be able to get you into the closest centers, especially on short notice or holiday weeks. It may be more difficult to find a dialysis chair in smaller communities as they may not have openings.
Once a dialysis facility informs the Travel Coordinator of an opening, we will send your dialysis orders and medical information. The Travel Coordinator will provide you with a travel letter detailing your treatment plans while traveling.
Dialysis centers will require certain medical screens/tests to be performed prior to formally accepting you as a patient. Some of these tests can be done by DCL; others will have to be completed by an outside medical provider. It is especially important for you to give us a month’s notice to ensure all testing can be completed on time.
Emergency Travel
If you need to travel on short notice due to an emergency, please contact the Travel Coordinator at 402-489-5339 as soon as possible. We will do our best to find you a dialysis chair, but it is not a guarantee. If it will be a short trip, speak to your Unit Manager about possibly adjusting your schedule to allow for travel.
International Travel
Please notify the Travel Coordinator at 402-489-5339 as soon as possible if you plan to travel internationally. The Travel Coordinator can help you identify dialysis centers where you are travelling, but it is your responsibility to make arrangements. If visiting family, it is encouraged for them to help you with arrangements. We will provide you with medical information for you to take to the destination dialysis center.
DCL Peritoneal Dialysis Patients Planning a Trip or Vacation
Please Contact Home Dialysis of Lincoln at 402-742-8500.
DCL Home Hemodialysis Patients Planning a Trip or Vacation
Please Contact Home Dialysis of Lincoln at 402-742-8500.
Insurance and Travel
Medicare will pay for dialysis across state borders. It does not pay for international dialysis or dialysis cruises. If traveling to Mexico or Canada, it may be more convenient to stay in a US city near the border and take day trips into the country. Medicare covers 80%. If it is your only insurance you will be responsible for the remaining 20% of each treatment.
Employer coverage, private insurance, and Medicare supplements differ in how they cover out-of-state dialysis. Please contact your insurance company(s) to check coverage and see if there are specific dialysis centers in-network near your travel destination. Following your insurance company’s instructions will help minimize costs.
Nebraska Medicaid typically only pays for dialysis within the state. There are some dialysis centers near the Nebraska border that accept Nebraska Medicaid. Please contact the Travel Coordinator at 402-489-5339 for assistance. If a dialysis center does not accept Nebraska Medicaid, you will be responsible for 20% of costs if you have Medicare and 100% if you do not have Medicare.
Visiting Patients
Thank you for your interest in receiving dialysis at the Dialysis Center of Lincoln (DCL). DCL has units located in both Lincoln and Columbus, Nebraska. Our Travel Coordinator will be happy to assist you with making arrangements to receive dialysis with us while you are visiting the region. If you have questions or would like more information regarding dialysis at DCL, please contact our Travel Coordinator at 402-489-5339.
Insurance and Travel - Visiting Patients
Medicare will pay for dialysis across state borders. Medicare covers 80%, if it is your only insurance you will be responsible for the remaining 20% of each treatment. Employer coverage, private insurance, and Medicare supplements differ in how they cover out-of-state dialysis.
Please contact your insurance company(s) to check coverage and see if there are specific dialysis centers in-network near your travel destination. Following your insurance company’s instructions will help minimize costs.
Forms for Visiting Patients
The forms below are required to be completed prior to dialyzing at the Dialysis Center of Lincoln (DCL). If you have questions regarding requesting care at The Dialysis Center of Lincoln please contact the Travel Coordinator at 402-489-5339.
Visiting Patient Checklist Form
Visiting Patient Demographics Form
Visiting Patient Insurance Letter