Grady Dialysis Patients get Extension on Private Care ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - Yesterday was supposed to be the last day that Grady Hospital would pay for its former patients to get dialysis treatments at private area clinics. Instead, the hospital says it will continue paying for 30 days more, while they try to find other care arrangements for those patients.

WABE's Odette Yousef reports.

Most of the patients are undocumented immigrants without insurance. The hospital notified them of the extension by letter last week. But it also said this would be their final chance to accept Grady's offer to repatriate them to their native countries, with some financial support.

GOVE: Ultimately, patients have to take responsibility for where their long-term care is going to come from.

That's Matt Gove, Grady spokesperson. He says Grady cannot pay indefinitely for the care of the 50 or so people who were displaced when the hospital closed its outpatient dialysis center in October.

Still, Grady's contract with the private provider does allow the hospital to pay for treatments at a discount until September. Patient advocates recently lost a court bid to force Grady to continue the treatments for the full term of the contract.

They plan to appeal the ruling on Tuesday, to Georgia's Supreme Court.

Odette Yousef, WABE News.
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