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LAWRENCE, Mass., July 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NxStage Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTM), a leading manufacturer of innovative dialysis products, congratulates Home Dialyzors United (HDU) for its work with the Department of Transportation that led to the issuing of Industry Guidance regarding transport of portable dialysis machines by air travelers with disabilities. This guidance, sent to all airlines under the Agency’s jurisdiction, specifies that portable dialysis machines, belonging to travelers with disabilities, are to be checked on commercial flights free of charge.
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The timing of this guidance change was key to help dialyzors with their summer travel schedules.
“This is a huge victory for home dialyzors who travel by air with their dialysis machines,” says Rich Berkowitz, HDU founder and president. “With almost 40,000 people in the U.S. today doing dialysis at home using some form of portable machine, this written guidance ensures that their travel experiences can be simpler and less frustrating. Dialyzors now can rest assured knowing that they will be able to carry their life-saving dialysis devices free of charge without discrimination, and that carriers will not inadvertently demand payment of high freight charges to carry their machines in the plane’s cargo holds.”
Many home dialyzors have had problems traveling with portable dialysis machines such as the NxStage System One although the Air Carrier Access Act prohibits discrimination based upon a person’s disability. In the past portable dialysis machines were considered “assistive devices” per the Act (14 CFR Part 382). Without a clear definition regarding portable dialysis machines, traveling dialysis patients often faced hurdles with the airlines. At a minimum, the check-in process could be frustrating and long. Some patients were charged exorbitant fees while some were even denied being allowed to board the plane at all. This accomplishment by the HDU organization will help ease the financial burden and stress home dialyzors used to face when traveling on commercial airlines
A copy of the guidance with frequently asked questions can be found on the Department of Transportation website at http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.dev/files/docs/Portable_Dialysis_Machine_Notice.pdf. Additional hints to help with travel with the NxStage® System One are available at http://www.nxstage.com/homehemodialysis/products/travel.
Joe Turk, President of North America at NxStage, added his congratulations to HDU saying, “This transportation update is an important victory for HDU and for patients on home dialysis around the country. NxStage acknowledges and congratulates HDU founder Rich Berkowitz for his dedication to increasing access to home dialysis and to improving the quality of experiences for patients once they choose to dialyze at home.”
About NxStage Medical Inc.
NxStage is a medical device company, headquartered in Lawrence, MA, USA, which develops, manufactures, and markets innovative systems for the treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and acute kidney failure. The System One home hemodialysis device developed by NxStage is the only FDA approved portable hemodialysis machine cleared for home use. For more information on NxStage, or NxStage® products, visit, http://www.nxstage.com.
About HDU
Home Dialyzors United is a 501(c)(3) non-profit patient organization, founded in 2007, whose mission is to support and advocate for home dialysis. HDU’s main focus is to support, educate and advocate for home hemodialysis modalities. HDU includes dialyzors, patients, care partners, renal professionals and friends of those with chronic kidney failure. For more information on HDU, visit, http://homedialyzorsunited.org.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this release that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking, and the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan,” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors including those that are discussed in NxStage’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013. NxStage is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contact:
Kristen K. Sheppard
VP, Investor Relations
ksheppard@nxstage.com
SOURCE NxStage Medical, Inc.
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